Ice Flame
by Phantom Aficionado
Summary: You know how this goes. An ordinary girl finds herself reborn into the fantastical world of anime. Does she have what it takes to change things up and make her new life her own? Or will she become one of those "avoid the plot at all costs" characters? SI-OC no pairings decided. Spoilers for season 3 and the manga
1. Square One

I never put much faith in things like religion and the afterlife. I mostly figured whatever happened, happened. There was no use agonizing over where'd I end up if there was anything at all besides the empty nothing. If there was such a thing as heaven and hell, I'd like to think of myself as decent enough person not to warrant eternal damnation. Unless God really was as awful and judgmental about things like being queer or not pious like those overbearing, self-righteous Bible-thumpers made Him out to be. But yeah, most of the time, I didn't think on things of a more philosophical nature beyond the beliefs that guided my moral compass. Despite my "let come what may" attitude, however, I didn't expect to find out so soon the answer to the age-old question, "What happens when we die?"

I didn't realize I had died at first. Everything was muddled and it felt like my head was stuffed with cotton. I couldn't make a coherent thought beyond, "I'm hungry," or "I'm tired." It was an endless cycle of eat and sleep. I spent most of my time sleeping, or at least I think I did, and what time I spent awake was filled with hysterics about why the world felt like I was experiencing it underwater. Why couldn't I move properly? Was I drugged? Maybe I'd been in an accident and they were keeping me under so I healed better.

Another problem was my emotional state, or rather its fluctuating. The littlest things set off the waterworks just as quickly as the simplest thing could calm me down, and let me tell you, cracking up because a large shadowy figure is shaking something in your face is really disconcerting. Which reminded me, I really need my glasses back, but it was hard to communicate when your tongue felt like lead and your ears felt like they were plugged with noise-canceling headphones.

Speaking of shadowy figures (recently upgraded to blobs of color), there were quite a few of them, a man and a woman- although it was mostly the woman, the man only came when the woman was there- and a few others that weren't around often enough for me to tell them apart. They spoke Japanese or something that sounded like Japanese, which was odd since I'm American. Maybe they were my nurses and doctors assigned to my care for whatever accident I had. Every time I managed to be coherent, at least one of the figures was usually there, and if they weren't, my cries brought them quickly to check on me.

With my brain as fuzzy as it was, it was hard for me to keep track of how much time had passed, but I know at least several weeks passed as my vision drastically improved and my mind began to clear, with it my memories slowly coming back. I could also pick out names from the unintelligible (to my ears) language my apparent caretakers spoke. The woman's name was Rei and the man was Enji, someone else was Fuyumi and another Hien, but the others I couldn't tell. I didn't think anything of these names until the day I woke and my vision was as clear as it hadn't been since I first started wearing glasses. Did someone put them on while I was sleeping?

Everything looked strange, and I found it difficult to concentrate on any one thing. It was all slightly too big and I certainly wasn't in any hospital room. I'd been in one enough times to know what they were supposed to look like. In fact, this place looked more like a child's room, a nursery or something. It certainly didn't help that I was surrounded on all sides by wooden bars like some sort of crib.

At the moment, my mind was clearer than it had been in a while and I took the time to figure out how I came to be in this situation. I'm pretty certain I was stabbed. The details were hazy, but the feeling of lying on the ground, bleeding out, body growing cold was one I don't think I would ever forget. Perhaps I died and this is some kind of limbo?

"だれが目がさめているか見なさい! おはよう私の甘い女の子。ああ、私に会って頂けますか? 私の Hien はとても速く育っている!"

Not sure why I can't understand anything if this is supposed to be the afterlife, though. Rei stood beside the bars of my wooden prison and I'm pretty sure I dissociated for a moment there because my mind went completely blank when my eyes caught sight of her. The first thing that registered was her hair. It was white. Not the silvery grey of old age- she was much too young for that- or the platinum blonde of hair dye, but actual, honest to god, white. It was the strangest thing ever.

"Hien?"

I didn't notice anyone else in the room, but given my limited mobility, it wasn't too much of a stretch for Hien to be just out of sight. Rei reached toward me, I assumed to help me sit up when I noticed that the closer she got, the more impossibly large she seemed to grow. I'd known my caretakers were on the large side, but this was ridiculous. When she was right over me, I panicked, bursting into tears. Rei seemed to grow concerned and made soothing noises in an attempt to calm me, but I wasn't having it when this impossible giant was cradling my entire body in her arms. You'd think by this point, I would've noticed something was up sooner, but you could hardly blame me when I was lacking my full mental faculties. Eventually, I tired myself out and cried myself to sleep, still being rocked by this giant woman.

* * *

When I woke up again, I was alone in the room that looked more like a baby's nursery than a hospital room. I wasn't hungry, but I'm sure that'll change soon, no need to call someone in here just yet. It's rare for me to have alone time like this. Left on my own, I began to evaluate my current situation. 1) I was somehow in Japan. Not once had I heard English spoken in my presence, which makes no sense if I was in America, ergo I was someplace where Japanese was the dominant language, i.e. Japan. 2) I'm not in a hospital room. There was a distinct lack of hospital background noise, like the constant beep of a heart monitor or the quiet hum of machinery. Now that I can see the room clearly, it was rather obviously a baby's room. 3) Whoever's been looking after me is freakishly huge. I know I'm not the biggest of people, only coming up to 5'2, but there's no way someone could carry me in their arms like that and not be an actual giant. Considering all these facts, plus what I observed earlier, either I managed to slip into a coma and I'm very lucidly dreaming right now (do people in comas even dream?), or for some reason, I'm a baby (which, what the actual hell?). People don't just randomly become babies in countries on the other side of the world that they've never even been to. Given my earlier speculation of my possible death, such a thing might be possible if reincarnation were a thing, but this isn't some crappy fanfic. People don't just remember their past lives. Or maybe they do and that's why babies cry for no reason. They end up forgetting over time. The only thing that could make this situation even more unbelievable would be finding out I'd been reincarnated into some fandom. I could feel tears of frustration building up as my lips trembled.

"間違った妹は何であるか?"

One of the other voices I recognized, Fuyumi, suddenly appeared at my side and my tantrum stopped right in it's tracks in a repeat of Rei's appearance, although for slightly different reasons. Fuyumi, like Rei, had white hair, but also had streaks of red here and there. It wasn't the outlandish hair colors that bothered me, or rather, it wasn't the fact that they were outlandish, it was that I'd seen that exact combination on another Fuyumi, one that was much older than the child before me, and also happened to be completely fictional.

"これをの Hi-chan 見なさい!"

What happened next was imprinted into my mind for many years to come. Out of Fuyumi's hands, glittering snowflakes appeared, swirling and twisting in an invisible wind. My mind was mesmerized, eyes locked onto the dazzling display.

"それは私の特性である。 より古いときあなたのを得る!"

Those tears suddenly came back with a vengeance and once the first whimper left my lips, it was like the floodgates had opened. I could vaguely hear another voice, Rei's, chattering concernedly over my cries as I was lifted from my resting spot into her giant arms again. My head rested on her shoulder as she rocked me gently, rubbing my back and making soft shushing noises. I felt more than saw the bottle being pushed towards my mouth and damn my infant body, but it worked. I instinctively latched onto the nipple, greedily drinking the milk, while not thinking too hard about whether it was breast milk or formula. I ended up drifting off back to sleep without even realizing it.

* * *

Here's the old chapters 1 and 2 tweaked and combined. Hopefully, it flows better than it did before.


	2. Two Pair

It took some time, several weeks in fact before I came to terms with my new existence, but as with all obstacles I encountered in my previous life, I eventually shrugged and went along with it. I was self-aware enough not fall into a cycle of grief and denial. My new family (The Todoroki's! Holy shit, is my childhood fucked.) had been worried about my sudden despondency and took me to several doctors to determine the cause, but of course, nothing was physically wrong, so they merely attributed it to whatever had ailed me at birth. Apparently, I'd been mysteriously ill as a newborn and had to be kept at the hospital for a few weeks before I was allowed home. Endeavor- no way in hell I'd call that bastard my father- was displeased by my seemingly weak nature and took to visiting me even less than he already did, which was a blessing in disguise.

My Japanese improved by leaps and bounds, although my level remained at that of an actual infant. I'd learned that the mysterious Hien was actually me, which made me relieved to learn that I was not Shouto, but also guilty. The poor boy would suffer absolute hell once he was born. From what I remembered, only Fuyumi was allowed near Shouto. His brothers were forbidden to be around him. As a girl, I was fairly certain that Enji would allow me to stay with Shouto. He seemed to be softer on his daughter than his three sons, so perhaps he'd feel the same about me. It would help my future brother to have someone relatively close in age as a friend.

Speaking of brothers, I finally met the little-known Todoroki sons. Natsuo and Touya were their names, not what I would've guessed, but it suited them. Touya was older and he had red hair and a fire quirk like our genetic donor, whereas Natsuo had Rei's hair and an ice quirk. They didn't visit as often as Fuyumi, but that was most likely because as a mostly immobile, delicate infant, I wasn't quite interesting to two active little boys. They did seem quite excited to have a little sister to look after, though. I imagine it was a nice change from being looked out for by their other sister.

There wasn't a lot mentioned about them from the anime or even the manga, not that I'd know as I hadn't actually read it. Unfortunately, that means I'm flying blind in terms of how the series goes after a certain point, although I did know a thing or to from manga spoilers. I'm unsure how to proceed plot-wise but given that Fuyumi is supposed to be in her twenties by the time Shouto is fifteen, I assume I won't be more than one or two years older than him, which means theoretically, I could be at UA when shit goes does. If I even want to be, that is. I could take the "let come what may" route and things should work out fine in the end like the manga, or I could try to change things for the better, minimize the damage. I'd already decided to change Shouto's fate, but anything beyond that is up in the air. Besides, there's no guarantee I'll even have the ability to go to UA. That depends entirely on what my quirk turns out to be. If I'm lucky I'll have either Rei's or Enji's quirk or some useful combination. If not, my parents' conflicting quirks could end up canceling each other out and giving me a less than hero worthy quirk like Natsuo's.

"Hi-chan, food time! 今日私達はエンドウ豆およびにんじんを潰してしまった。それから私達は完全にあなたの特別な日の間服を着せられて得なければならない。"

That was Rei-kaa-san (I had no qualms about thinking of Rei as my mother. I understood that it wasn't a betrayal of my previous life's mother, nor did it diminish the love I have for her.) with whatever the hell concoction of mashed food I was supposed to eat. Gods, do I miss feeding myself. At least I've graduated to solid foods even if my fine motor skills leave much to desired. Mother picked me up from my crib (a newer one with higher walls as I'd recently learned how to stand with assistance) and balanced me on her hip. Settling me in my high-chair, she spoon-fed me my mush and I practiced eating as neatly as possible.

"あなたの食糧をすべて終えた。非常によい女の子!"

Putting the empty baby food container away, mother picked me up after cleaning up my face- I wasn't successful this time. She brought me over to my changing table, which I'd grown to hate out of pride and embarrassment, however much I learned to put up with it out of necessity. It didn't take me long to realize that something was different about today as she dressed me up in some fancy traditional baby dress. Was there some kind of special occasion going on? Oh Lord, I hope I'm not being paraded around for some kind of debutante crap that I've heard rich and noble kids do. Something about being introduced to society? Whatever it is, it's going to be awful, I know it.

"可愛いいかにあるか見なさい!"

I didn't have time to bemoan my fate any longer because, at that moment, mother was lifting me in front of a mirror. I was excited to see what I looked like as I hadn't yet gotten the chance to see my reflection. Babyish laughter left my mouth as leaned excitedly forward. Would I have red hair or white, maybe even pink? Blue eyes or grey? A mixture of both? Now in a position to see myself clearly, my excitement died a swift death. There in the mirror was a perfectly split-colored child, hair half-white and half-red with one blue and one grey eye. Well, fuck.

* * *

I'd been right about the special occasion, apparently, it was my first birthday, January 11th. I will admit to having (yet another) major freakout when I realized the implications of my date of birth and my physical appearance. I mean, come on. What are the odds of having two perfectly split colored children born on the same date? Not likely. Anyway, didn't I already speculate I'd be right around Shouto's age? I'd been under the impression that I was just a new sibling that hadn't previously existed. I never considered I might actually _be_ Shouto, or at least, replaced him. I didn't make the connection because I was a girl and my name was Hien, but seeing my startling resemblance to baby Shouto, made me question who I was supposed to be. If I was actually a girl version of Shouto, well, of course, my name wouldn't be Shouto. And don't the kanji for Hien mean Ice Flame? As in _hot and cold_? Pretty much everyone in the world had a name based on their quirk or appearance. What are the chances that my quirk doesn't end up being Shouto's?

Unless mother suddenly becomes pregnant within the next year, the chances of me being Shouto are practically 100%. I won't lie to myself and say I didn't curse Shouto for not being born yet, or at all, as the case may be. With my quirk manifesting in about three years, I know I was being selfish when I hoped and prayed to every god out there that it wasn't Hot and Cold. There's no way I wanted to put up with a childhood of abuse from Todoroki Enji, but if my quirk wasn't Endeavor's perfect creation, then he'd move onto another child, one that wouldn't have the advantage of having the mental maturity to protect themselves from him.

Mother worriedly fussed over me as she probably wondered whether I was having an episode or something, but I quickly assuaged her worries by calming down. There's no use crying over spilled milk and I had at least a couple of years to prepare myself. Mother quickly finished dressing me up with some cute hair clips and off we were to one of the many rooms I hadn't seen before. As a "sickly child" I was kept isolated from pretty much everyone and confined to the family quarters, so I had no idea where in the estate we were. I assumed it was some kind of banquet or receiving room, based on the size. There were lots of people there, including my siblings and my grandparents, if their hair colors were any indicators. Endeavor was talking to some people that didn't look obviously related to us, so I assumed they were colleagues or sidekicks or something. Mother brought me up to where our family sat, chatting away with her parents when I noticed one of them had another bundle in their arms.

"母は、父、これHienである。Hienは、これらあなたの祖父母およびあなたのお兄さんShoutoである。"

Just when I thought I had enough revelations, peeking out of my apparent grandmother's arms was a baby identical to the one I just saw in the mirror. I felt oddly numb and yet morbidly fascinated by my doppelganger. There were two of us? _Twins?_ And this was the real Shouto, not me. A pang of guilt was outweighed by the rush of relief that flowed through me. I wasn't _the_ Todoroki Shouto. It wasn't up to me to surpass Endeavor or fight Stain and the League of Villains. I mean, I was still going to help Shouto with those things, but I didn't realize how much simply _having_ the option of not dealing with it all meant to me, even if I wasn't going to take it.

I did wonder why we were kept separate until now but figured it was because they didn't want to risk my twin catching whatever I had. Shouto seemed like a very lively baby compared to myself and had no issues expressing his curiosity about the new baby in his presence. The adults all seemed to find this terribly cute- not that I blamed them, we _were_ absolutely adorable- and pushed us together like we were having some sort of playdate. Shouto babbled excitedly at me using a combination of gurgles and the three words he actually knew. It was the cutest shit I'd ever seen. I couldn't help myself and took his chubby baby cheeks in my equally chubby baby hands and used what little strength I had to squish them affectionately. Shouto apparently found this hilarious and burst into tinkling baby laughter. At that moment, I felt my heart swell with more love than I thought I could ever have for another person, and I knew I'd protect my candy cane baby come hell or high water.


	3. Third Degree

After coming to terms with that life-changing revelation, things mostly went on the same as before. Slightly different, of course, now that I've been moved into Shouto's room. It was decided, that since I seem to be perfectly healthy, that we could be placed together like we should have been. I learned that my twin and I weren't as identical as I first thought. Aside from our obvious sex differences, we were actually inverted images of each other. Where my hair was white, his was red, and where his was white, mine was red. Our eyes were also flipped to match, but other than that, you couldn't tell us apart if you weren't paying attention.

Touya and Natsuo started spending more time with me after I learned to move under my own power and taught Shouto how to walk. It's always an adventure when those two are left alone with us, which is probably why mother leaves Fuyumi in charge. Even as a nine-year-old, Fuyumi is very responsible, definitely "mom friend" material. As the only other girl, I'm closest to her, but Touya's fire quirk makes him the perfect napping buddy. The eldest Todoroki sibling was practically a furnace. It wasn't uncommon for me to fall asleep in his arms or cuddled up next to him. Shouto was my favorite sibling hands down, of course.

Mother didn't seem too unhappy these days, though her face has obvious stress lines. She seems mostly okay around my siblings and me. Although, that could be a front she puts on for us, for all I know. I'm not exactly sure how bad things were for her before Shouto's quirk manifested and Endeavor forced him to start training. I do my best to play the happy, easy baby to make up for the grief I'm sure I caused her with my tantrums and illness. It seems to do its job since she doesn't frown at me like she used to before I decided to embrace my new life. She smiles a lot more now that Shouto and I are together.

A downside of me wanting to be more independent is that I developed at a faster rate than I know children my age do. I said my first word (kaachan) as soon as I had sufficient control of my vocal chords and mouth and have since increased my vocabulary to the point where I can communicate in one or two-word phrases and sentences. I could crawl by 6 months and started standing at 7. By the 9 month mark, I was walking without assistance as if I'd done it all my life. Unfortunately, this brought me to the attention of the Flame Hero, although thankfully, he only spent time with me to assess my development. He had high hopes for me, apparently. He took mine and Sho's half-and-half appearance as a good sign since his other progeny were all more one parent than the other in terms of quirks and physical traits.

On the other hand, having a twin was proving valuable as now that we were hardly apart, my little strawberry-vanilla swirl quickly picked up skills if he saw that I could do them first. Within our first month together, Shouto could walk when before, he could hardly stand without falling right away. His vocabulary also increased dramatically, although it was nowhere near as extensive as mine. By two years old, both of us were speaking nearly complete sentences. I'd even begun teaching him English and Spanish as a way to keep my language skills sharp and ended up making our own secret twin language by mashing all three languages together. This had the advantage of making my progress look not quite as strange if Sho wasn't all that far behind me. Now if only I could get my hands on some children's primers, I could get us started on learning how to read. I missed reading and I had no doubt my boy would pick it up just as quickly as everything else.

That did make me curious about school, though. Wasn't Shouto originally home-schooled? I might be misremembering that, but it's very likely considering Endeavor was training him since his quirk manifested. As our fourth birthday fast approached, I worried about that day more than I'll admit. Some part of me was scared that that man would deem my quirk useless or unworthy and separate us again. Logically, I knew it was more than likely I'd end up with the same quirk as my twin, inverted like our features were perhaps, but most likely the same.

Shouto seemed to have picked up my vehement aversion to the Todoroki patriarch and now refused to allow the man near me. The first time I heard my boy call him "End'a" instead of his usual "tou-san" I rewarded him with endless smooches to his cute face. Although for some reason, he ended up believing that I'd give him kisses every time he did that, and now refused to call our genetic donor anything but his hero name. I felt extremely vindicated by that.

The good thing about being considered that man's projects is that we weren't of any use to him until we developed our quirks. As such, he paid more attention to his hero work than he did his progeny. He was hardly home except when necessary, which I'm sure made mother happy. It certainly did for me. With any luck, I could teach Shouto to keep his quirk hidden from that man and put off training for as long as possible.

* * *

The day my quirk manifested was the same as any other day. My twin and I woke up, had breakfast and went back to our room for our daily storytelling session. After our first birthday, mother started reading us bedtime stories and I expressed an interest in the books she brought us. She thought it was adorable how we would insist on "reading" to each other. Well, he was pretending, I was actually practicing. My reading comprehension was pretty good for a beginner this point- at least with hiragana and katakana, my kanji was absolute shit and I had no intention of remedying that at this point- and even little Sho could follow along when reading. He loved reading possibly even more than I did. Although that might have been because I "told the most bestest stories."

As soon as I could get my hands on paper and something to write with, I had taken to writing down anything and everything I could remember from my past life about future events, all in our made up Spanglanese, of course. It wouldn't do for someone to find my notes and ask questions. Seeing all the knowledge I had about this series written down depressed me since I could barely fill a couple of pages with relevant plot. Most of it was miscellaneous information like birthdays and rankings. I also occasionally wrote down stories and songs I didn't want to forget from before. Perhaps I could become a published author on the side of my hero work. I'm sure plenty of other heroes did it.

Enthusiastic about stories or not, Shouto was still a four-year-old boy, and it didn't take all that long before he got restless and we went out to play in the courtyard. We took turns playing catch and tag and hide and seek (I usually let him win). Right now we were playing with the ball, trying to keep it in the air as long as possible. It was just the two of us as Fuyumi, Touya and Natsuo were busy with school assignments and other such that we didn't have to worry about just yet. We'd only recently started homeschooling with our personal tutors. The tutors were under the impression that we were regular four-year-olds and started us on learning our alphabets and numbers. Neither of us cared for those lessons and barely paid attention which I supposed only encouraged the idea that we weren't all that advanced.

The ball flew overhead and I failed to catch it. It bounced away and I ran after it, not watching where I was going. I tripped and fell face first, scraping my knee. Ball immediately forgotten, I burst into tears, cradling my skinned knee. Hey, I may have more mental maturity than a four-year-old, but I was still physically a child. Shouto ran to my side immediately, adorable face scrunched up in worry.

"Hi-chan, are you okay?"

"It hurts, Sho." Sniffling, I looked at the damage. It wasn't bad, but to a little kid, I might as well have lost my entire leg. Damn, having an ice quirk would be useful right about now. As if some divine entity had decided to play a joke on me, my hands spontaneously burst into white flames. Shouto and I both yelped in alarm before I realized the fire wasn't hurting me. In fact, I couldn't even tell it was hot.

"Wow, you got your quirk, Hi-chan! It's so pretty! Better than Endeavor's fire."

We sat there, mesmerized by the beautiful flames dancing on my fingers, my injury suddenly going from "I need to cut off my leg" to "walk it off, you'll live" in priority in light of this new discovery. I immediately had to know everything about my newfound quirk. Judging by the color of the flame, it probably wasn't Shouto's Hot and Cold quirk, unless it was some colored variant. I was strangely more disappointed than relieved as I'd thought I would be. Maybe because it was just a fire quirk like that man's. I wondered if I would have been disappointed if I had strictly an ice quirk like mother's.

"Hi-chan, isn't this fire weird?" Shouto stared transfixed by my quirk. His hands were up as if he were warming them up.

"What do you mean?" I too stared intently at my hands, trying to figure out what was different about my flames besides the fact that they weren't the traditional orange color. White flames were supposed to be the hottest, weren't they? That's why blue stars burned out quicker, right? They were hotter than red or yellow stars. It's been a while since I took a science class, so I wasn't sure.

"It's not warm. It's cold like when mama opens the 'fridgerator."

Cold? I thought since it was my quirk, that I was immune to the heat generated by the flames, but even Shouto can't feel any warmth from them? They actually feel cold to him instead. This definitely isn't some version of his quirk, but a literal fusion of hot and cold. My flames burn _cold_. How does that even work? Fire isn't supposed to be cold, but I guess with quirks anything's possible. I guess I was aptly named, after all. "Ice Flame" indeed.

I scrunched up my face, trying to concentrate on my quirk. I wanted to experiment with it. First, I tried to see if I could change the size. As it turned out, this was easy to accomplish. Perhaps too easy, as the candle flame suddenly became a bonfire. Panicking, I shook my hands, trying to turn it off, but that only succeeded in embers jumping from my hands and landing on the ground. The sparks didn't burn, but where they landed, a thin layer of frost expanded, until Shouto and I were running around like headless chickens, my hands still on fire and patches of ice surrounding us. So preoccupied with our panic, we didn't notice we had drawn attention from the nearest person.

"Hien! Shouto!" Endeavor.


	4. Four-letter Word

I wasn't entirely wrong about being separated from Shouto. Now that my quirk had manifested, Endeavor had put me through quirk counseling, with only the best professionals in their field, as you would expect. I still saw my baby brother in the evenings, but my days were now filled with intense testing and I was often too tired to stay up for long. The limits of my quirk were tested thoroughly, and I found out that I wasn't limited to only cold abilities. I could also create normal fire with my other side, these ones a pale orange-yellow color instead of Endeavor's dark orange-red. I couldn't create ice directly like Shouto would be able to, but my cold fire had the tendency to freeze things it touched. I also found out that each side of my body ran just a degree cooler or warmer than average. Endeavor was... difficult to read. He seemed conflicted when the results of my quirk testing came in. I could tell he was disappointed that my quirk wasn't the perfect fire and ice ability that he'd envisioned, but he also seemed to take the successful mixing of two powerful opposing quirks as a good sign, that he was one step closer to his perfect creation. I'm sure that meant he'd be keeping a closer eye on Shouto.

While I may not have been exactly what he'd been hoping for, that didn't mean he was going to let such a powerful quirk go to waste. His goal was to surpass All Might by any means necessary. If my imperfect quirk could do that, then all this wouldn't be for nothing. Once my quirk counseling was finished, and I grasped a sufficient amount of control on my quirk, Endeavor had me begin my physical training. Nothing terrible at first, I guess even an abusive bastard like him didn't expect a four-year-old to be anything but an absolute novice at martial arts, so I took beginners lessons from various instructors. The only damage came from bumps and bruises that were to be expected when practicing any physical activity. I'm sure that would change once the basics were out of the way and he became personally involved in my training. I was not looking forward to that.

For the next couple of weeks, my schedule consisted of tutoring lessons in the mornings with Shouto and training in the afternoons until dinner and then bed. Repeat the next day. I guess my baby missed me more than I thought he did because one day, during my very rare personal time (Endeavor had been called in for some emergency.) he said he had a surprise for me.

"Look, Hi-chan, I got my quirk! Now I can start training with you!"

I immediately dropped the book I'd been reading, watching flames dance on his fingertips while ice coated his right hand with growing dread. I grabbed his hand in a vice grip, using my cold side to snuff out his flames.

"Listen to me, Shouto. Don't show this to anybody else, do you hear me? Especially Endeavor! You can't tell him you have your quirk!"

He stared at me, frightened as I shook his arm. He didn't understand why I was suddenly so upset. I only used his full name when I was being serious. It was always "Sho" or "baby brother" or some other endearment.

"You're scaring me, Hi-chan!"

"I'm sorry Shouto, but you have to keep this secret, okay? If Endeavor finds out, he'll hurt you."

He became quiet then, startled. In a moment of insight I wouldn't have expected of a child as young as him, "Does he hurt you?"

That was... hard to answer. As he was not the one actually training me, he had yet to see fit to lay his hands on me, but I knew with certainty that he would if at any point I did not live to his expectations. I couldn't explain how I knew this to Shouto, so I danced around the question.

"He hurts kaa-san."

I didn't know this for sure, but mother has been looking more worn out as of late. The result of me beginning my training, I'm sure. It wouldn't be too much of a leap to assume that she tried arguing against it and he decided to "discipline" her.

Shouto gasped, righteous fury in his eyes. A determined look on his face, that at any other time would have made me coo over him, merely made me cringe now. I knew how stubborn my twin could be.

"If I go to training, I can protect you! I won't let him hurt you or kaa-san!"

"No, Shouto." I kept my voice as firmly as possible. I had to make him understand. "We're not strong enough. If you try to fight him, he'll hurt you _and_ me."

"Then I'll get strong, like All Might! He's number one! That means he's better than Endeavor."

I cursed his childlike optimism and naivety. Taking him into my arms, I embraced him tightly.

"That's not how it works, Sho. It'll take a very long time to get strong. Years and years. By then, he'd already hurt us a lot."

He hugged me back just as tightly and I could feel him trembling like he was holding back tears. A sniffle and his small voice confirmed my suspicions. I ran my fingers through his hair, soothing him.

"So what are we gonna do?"

"You let me protect you for as long as possible, okay? We can't hide your quirk from him forever, but that doesn't mean we have to tell him right away. I can go to training and then I can show you what I learned. That way, you can still get stronger without that man's help."

For a moment, I thought he would keep protesting, but then he slumped in my hold, sniffling again.

"Okay, Hi-chan."

* * *

I thought it would be best to do a "controlled reveal" as it were. Better to do it on our own terms than have it be out of our control. As I had already developed my quirk, it would make sense for Shouto, as my twin, to develop his soon after mine. We couldn't pass him off as quirkless, so we decided to only let Endeavor know about one part of his quirk. It took some cajoling on my part, but I managed to convince him to only use his fire side. I was hoping to get a head start on preventing him from seeing that part of him as that man's quirk. I wouldn't have my little man hindering himself just to spite our sperm donor.

Endeavor, of course, was disappointed with Shouto's apparent lack of cold abilities, and trust me, it was almost a task we couldn't pull off, what with the best of their field looking into his quirk. I suspected that our mother knew about our little deception, and helped us out, but I couldn't prove that, aside from the looks that she'd give us sometimes.

We found a way to work around his ice abilities. I would use my hot side to push warmth into his cold side to prevent him from using it. This wasn't a perfect solution, of course. I couldn't always be at his side to shut down his ice powers. It was only a matter of time before our ruse was discovered, but for now, this would do.

We saw less and less of our other siblings as time went on, the only one around with any consistency being Fuyumi. Shouto joined me for our beginner's martial arts training. The first few lessons weren't bad, just learning and memorizing katas. I'd already taught him the ones I knew, he just needed professional guidance to correct his form properly. Unlike with our homeschooling tutors, we were actually much more engaged with our training, as this was entirely new material for the both of us. It didn't take my precious twin very long to catch up to where I was, and I suspected he'd surpass me in terms of physical skill before long. Even _Before_ , I never had the inclination towards physical activities. I'm only so invested now because my life literally depends on it. Shouto was just good at this sort of thing.

Our routine didn't last long, however. Once we'd gained sufficient proficiency in the basics, Endeavor really cracked down on our training. Every moment that wasn't spent eating, sleeping and studying, was spent in the dojo with that man. Mother tried her best to take care of us when we weren't with him, but I could tell it was taking its toll on her. I made sure Shouto never wandered alone at night, just in case. He may have been willing to forgive her in that other timeline, but that doesn't mean I would. Being a victim of abuse does not give you the okay to hurt others, especially an innocent child, mental illness or no. She's still my loving mother though, and I can understand that Endeavor is the one really at fault, so I'd rather not see her get taken away because of a mistake she made. I hinted that perhaps she should take some time to herself and visit her family. With Endeavor busy training us, he didn't pay attention to her as long as she stayed out of his way.

Training was hard on us, but I imagine it was made easier by there being two of us as opposed to just Shouto by himself. In the story, he didn't have anyone to lean on but his mother. Now he has me. Since we started training together, the two of us haven't spent a moment apart. Our schedule practically demanded it. We trained, studied, ate and even bathed together. In hindsight, that probably wasn't very healthy for Shouto's or even my development. I hope he doesn't develop a complex or dependency on me.

I did my best to protect Shouto and, to a lesser extent, our mother, from Endeavor, but that didn't always work out. I tried to make sure I was physically punished in front of my baby brother as little as possible because he'd only get upset and try to challenge him, resulting in punishment for the both of us.

Speaking of punishment, the worst incident and the one that cemented Shouto's hatred of Endeavor in place of the boiling water incident that never happened was when he discovered our deception about Sho's quirk. If I'd known the consequences of lying, I would have never suggested it in the first place.

Endeavor had been pushing us particularly hard that day, and we were pretty much at our limit. It was the two of us, sparring against him, and we were losing badly. Already I knew we'd be too battered and bruised to do anything but rest tomorrow. The number 2 hero would be gone all day, so I supposed he was making up for the missed training by pushing us twice as hard now.

Our teamwork was pretty solid for a couple of 6 year-olds, but it still wasn't enough. We were beginning to flag and I'd moved too slowly for Endeavor's tastes, getting kicked into a wall. I must have blacked out for a few seconds because the next thing I know, the entire dojo is covered in ice. Ice that I most certainly did not create. Through blurry eyes, I stared in horror at the maniacal grin on that man's face.

* * *

Endeavor's excitement over Shouto's quirk wasn't enough to overcome the fury he felt at our deception. As punishment, he had us separated. Normally, it was more efficient to have us take our lessons together, but the Todoroki patriarch knew his punishment, which doubled as special training, would be more effective if he split us up. We were even given our own bedrooms. Apparently, he felt we were getting too old to share a room anyway and moved us out of our old nursery. Not that it stopped my twin from sneaking into my room at night- which mother helped cover for us by making sure Shouto was in his own room come morning- but still, for the most part, we only saw each other at night or during meals. The two of us were miserable.

Shouto's hatred towards our genetic donor only seemed to increase when Endeavor showed no signs of ending our punishments after a full month had gone by. Personally, I thought he might never decide to merge our lessons together again, besides pitting us against each other in the occasional sparring match to test our skills. Despite the fact that he put effort into training us both, I could tell he cared more about Sho's results than mine. Shouto was his crown jewel and I was just a flawed diamond. Not to mention our difference in genders. Endeavor was a flaming garbage can of a human being, but he had a soft spot for his daughters, minor though it may have been. It wasn't enough to spare me from his brutal training methods, but he was definitely harder on Shouto than he was on me. I did my best to comfort him during the night, telling him things would be better someday, but as we fix up each other's bruises from the day's training, we both knew that would be a long time coming.

Our mother was looking more worn down as time went by, and I knew she'd be at her breaking point soon. I tried to make sure Shouto and I weren't around her when she was in one of her moods- I didn't want her taking it out on him like she would have in that other reality. Unfortunately, whatever deity up there seems to be set on ruining all my plans. Shouto had woken me up to go to the bathroom- I'd long since gotten him in the habit to not wander around the house at night alone- and I sleepily followed him down the hall.

"D'ya wash yer hans?" He nodded with a soft smile at my slurred speech. Apparently, he thought it was cute, which I took great offense to. He was the adorable sweetie, not me. He took my hand to lead us back to his room. The wooden floors were cold and I leeched off some of my twin's heat as we stumbled through the dark. I was so out of it, I didn't notice the kitchen light was on until it was too late. Suddenly awake and alert, my grip on him went from lax to a near vice when I heard mother's soft tones from inside.

"Let's go back to bed, Sho." I whispered quietly so as not to attract her attention. My heart in my throat, I was damn near ready to drag him away as he peeked through the door.

"It's kaa-san. She's on the phone." I didn't need to hear her to know which conversation she's probably having.

"I know, candy cane. It's rude to interrupt when someone's on the phone, remember? Let's go to sleep."

"Okay, Hi-chan." With a sigh of relief, I tug his hand to lead him back. Unfortunately, I underestimated the strength I used and ended up pulling him too hard. He bumped into me with a loud thud and I immediately froze when mother's soft chatter stopped.

"Shouto? Hien?"

The kitchen light washed over us as the door opened fully and terror gripped my heart when I saw her standing there with that awful look on her face. I gathered my baby brother into my arms protectively with a soft reassuring kiss to his confused face, making sure both of our red-haired sides were blocked from her view as best I could.

"Sho had to use the bathroom. Don't worry, we'll go back to bed now, kaa-san."

She stood there looking at us for a few moments, and for a second I thought I might have averted her psychotic break, only for her to reach for the kettle on the stove.

"Your other sides are so unsightly."

Without a second thought, I pushed Shouto behind me as that terrible woman threw the kettle's boiling contents at us. I took the brunt of it, but was unable to protect Shouto from getting splashed with scalding water. With twin cries of pain, we both fell to the floor and I instinctively froze the water to create a barrier between her and us. Ignoring the burn on my back, I quickly went to check on Shouto. He was cradling his right arm and I could see the skin was bright red under his tiny hand. Both us were crying- Shouto outright sobbing- and that woman screeching about how she hated looking at us. The commotion must have woken someone up because I heard thundering footsteps in our direction. I never thought the day would come when I'd be glad to see Endeavor.


	5. Nine to Five

"Are you ready to go?"

"Ya, les'go." I mumbled around a mouthful of toast, causing my beloved twin to snort. Fuyumi stood in the foyer with us as we slipped on our shoes, about to head out to school. Not just any school either. It was our first day of high school. In other words, our very first day at U.A. Shouto and I both got in on recommendation from Endeavor, of course. I wondered what student I'd end up replacing? I couldn't really recall much of the canon story anymore without getting a refresher from my notes, so I didn't remember half of 1-A's names and absolutely none of 1-B's. I made sure to go over them meticulously the week leading up to this day, that way I wouldn't be taken by surprise unless something went off script. I knew nothing dangerous happened until the League of Villains made their move, and I already drew up plans about how to best handle that years ago, so it wasn't pressing to have it all memorized just yet. Not to mention, I'll have to take into account all the changes my presence will have made, but I can worry about that later, after classes.

"Have a good day at school, you two." Our elder sister waved us off with her usual worried demeanor. I swallowed the food in my mouth and gave her my best reassuring grin and finger guns.

"Don't worry so much, Fuyumi-nee. We'll be fine as long as we're together." My attempts at reassurance were successful when her face softened into something more at ease. It probably helped that Shouto backed up my words with a confident nod of agreement. With one last smile, we set off towards the train station.

Shouto and I had agreed long before that we wouldn't be taking the car to school. We were already two of the very small handful of recommended students, not to mention, _Endeavor's children_ , we didn't want to draw any more unnecessary attention to ourselves. I even bothered to wear the uniform correctly today. I wouldn't tomorrow, but I wanted to see how much I could get away with breaking dress code first. You know, first impressions and all that. The trip wasn't bad, considering we weren't used to going anywhere on public transportation. Usually, we had to take our chauffeur, and we rarely left the manor anyway. People gave us respectful looks when they noticed our uniforms, and we even spotted some potential classmates, though I didn't recognize any of them. U.A. itself was pretty massive, more like a college campus than an actual high school. Shouto and I had already been here once to fill out our enrollment paperwork, but it was still just as impressive as the first time we saw it.

"How you feelin' Sho?" Hand in hand, we walked up the flight of stairs into the building.

"Fine." My adorable little baby ("I'm not a baby anymore, Hi-chan.") brother had become quieter and reserved as we grew older, whereas I became more playful and friendly ("You'll always be my baby brother.")- I always did use humor to cover up my feelings. Shouto hated attention more than I did, anyway. My more outgoing personality was perfect to keep him out of the spotlight as he preferred. Luckily, I knew my boy better than anyone and could pick up his slight nervousness in the tension of his shoulders where most people would see nothing but a cool and calm demeanor. I gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"We'll be okay. It's only the first day. Together, remember?"

The tension in his shoulders relaxes minutely as if it had never been there at all. He squeezes my hand back, a silent gesture of thanks, and we head towards the information desk to pick up our class assignments. To no one's surprise, we were both in class 1-A. With directions from the helpful receptionist, we made it to our class early enough that there were only two other students inside the classroom, that engine legs guy related to Ingenium, Iida-something, and Yaoyozoru Momo. We actually knew Momo since our families ran in similar circles. The Todoroki's weren't nearly as affluent as the Yaoyorozu's, but our social standing was nothing to sneeze at either. Growing up in an upper-class family didn't give one much of an opportunity to make real friends, especially considering everyone in your age group that you interact with are probably the children of your parent's associates and business partners. So yeah, Momo's our best friend outside of each other.

"Todoroki-chan, Todoroki-kun! How fortuitous that we'd all end up in the same class together." She waved us down from her seat in the back of the class. I pouted as we went to join her by her desk.

"Yaomomo! How many times have I told you to call us Shouto and Hien? Calling us both Todoroki is unnecessary and confusing." Shouto nodded in quiet agreement. Neither of us was particularly fond of any sort of attachment to Endeavor and we've known Momo long enough that he didn't mind the casual address.

"It makes sense that we're all together, given that we were all accepted on recommendation."

"Wow, you guys got in on recommendation? That's so awesome!" During our little reunion, several more students had come in, a few that were familiar, but I couldn't be bothered to strain for any names when we'd just introduce ourselves anyway. The boy who'd spoken had spiky hair a tad brighter than our own red locks and eyes to match with a smile that seemed friendly despite his sharp, pointy teeth. "Oh, I'm Kirishima Eijirou, by the way. Nice to meet ya!"

"The name's Kaminari Denki." Another student, a boy with blond hair, spoke up from beside Kirishima. A girl with pink skin introduced herself as Ashido Mina and another blond boy, this one with a tail, was Mashirao Ojiro. I patted my brother's arm to let him know I'd handle this. He took his seat next to Momo, more than okay with me doing all the introductions.

"My name is Yoayorozu Momo." Momo returned our new classmate's friendliness with a wave and a smile of her own.

"I'm Todoroki Hien, and that's my twin, Shouto. Please feel free to call me Hien so you don't get mixed up calling us both Todoroki."

The boys' smiles seemed to turn a little bashful at the prospect of calling a girl they just met by her given name, but I still had enough western influence in me to not particularly care about such things.

"Well, if you're sure. In that case, call me Eijirou. I mean it's only fair right?"

"And you can call me Denki."

"Please call me Mina, Hien-chan!"

"I suppose if you don't mind, Ojiro is fine."

Our introductions were cut short by a commotion at the front of the classroom. Ingenium's relative, Iida- mentally dubbed Sonic for obvious reasons- was arguing with a delinquent looking boy- who I recall as the rival character with the explosion quirk and therefore known as Sparky Sparky Boom Man until further notice. Everyone became interested in watching them until something at the door caught both their eyes and by extension, the rest of the class's as well. I didn't really see anything interesting about another random classmate, but right after that, our teacher came in holding a sleeping bag (why?) and we were quickly ushered into the locker rooms to change into our PE uniforms.

* * *

The locker room wasn't as awkward as I'd thought it would be. Momo had already known about my scar and the other girls were respectful enough not to mention it or ask questions. Shouto's burn was more visible on his left hand, but mine was decidedly much larger on my right shoulder and collarbone, for all that it was easily hidden under clothes. We were ushered out into the field by our homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta, to perform fitness tests using our quirks. Endeavor had Sho and I do similar tests all the time. I was confident we'd do well and told him as much with a smile from my place beside him.

The boy who placed first in the hero course exam- the previously mentioned Sparky Sparky Boom Man, whose actual name was Bakugou Katsuki- was chosen to showcase what a difference using one's quirk made physically. Our classmates were all aflutter with excitement until Aizawa-sensei burst their bubbles. "The student with the lowest overall score will be expelled."

"What?!"

"That's not fair!"

"It's the first day! You can't expel us!"

The pro hero silenced everyone with a look. "U.A. has always prided itself in granting its teachers the freedom to teach as they see fit."

His announcement seemed to light a competitive fire under our class's collective asses, and everyone seemed determined not to end up in last place. Each one of our classmates seemed to have one test where their quirk allowed them to excel in. Shouto did better than I did as expected, but I was no slouch either. Our intense training gave us a distinct physical advantage compared to our amateur peers. Some of them seemed to have done the barest amount of physical conditioning prior to applying to U.A. Did they think their quirk would be enough to carry them through into the pro hero league? I wrinkled my nose in distaste. I hoped Aizawa-sensei disabused them of that notion quickly.

The only real point of interest was the pitching test. It started out pretty normal, although everyone went gaga over Uraraka's infinity score, but even that was overshadowed by Midoriya's turn. The meek and frankly, wimpy kid jogged my memory when he managed to barely beat Bakugou's score and in the process destroyed his index finger. Was the protagonist really always this underwhelming at first glance? Oh well, he certainly stands out now. After the talk sensei gave about Midoriya being reckless and having to rely on others to save him, I didn't think he'd approved of my helping him, but I did it anyway.

"Midoriya-san, come here for a second."

He looked around wildly for a second, making sure I really was addressing him, before approaching cautiously, face flushed a dark pink. Wow, how adorable. If I'm not careful, I'll be looking after two teenage boys.

"C-can I h-h-help you, T-Todoroki-san?"

"Let me see your finger."

Confused and possibly dazed, but willing to go along with it, he held out the appendage. The entire finger was an awful shade of purple as if every blood vessel inside it had burst. Hopefully, for his sake, no bones were broken. Taking his hand in mine, careful not to injure him further and ignoring his flustered squeak, I used my quirk to cool the excess heat in his damaged finger to lessen the swelling. The poor boy didn't know what to do with himself as he tried to stutter out grateful platitudes. How cute. Looks like I'm adopting another boy. I'm not surprised, I vaguely recall fondly naming most of 1-A as my sweet precious children. Shouto will always be best boy though.

Good deed done, I took my place next to my baby brother, waiting for the next test. I pointedly didn't look over at Aizawa-sensei's disapproving face, choosing instead to address Shouto's questioning look.

"Help because you can."

It was a common thing I'd told him when the subject of heroism came up. It was my personal philosophy on what it meant to be a hero, an ideal I thoroughly impressed upon him growing up. What better way to stick it to the old man than by being better people than he ever could be?

* * *

The final rankings came as no real surprise to me. In first, second and third place were Momo- whose creation quirk was the most rounded and netted her some of the highest scores in every test- and Shouto and me. In last place was Midoriya, which never really made sense to me, especially now that I've seen first-hand the state of some our less physically fit classmates. The poor boy looked close to tears at the impending threat of expulsion. Or maybe that was just his broken finger.

"Oh, and I was lying about being expelled."

Momo sighed, exasperated over the others' cries of disbelief. "It was obviously just a lie said to motivate us to do our best."

Shouto huffed, lips quirked up slightly, his quiet version of a laugh. My eyes crinkled in amusement as I bit my lip to stop smiling. Little did they know, Aizawa-sensei's threat hadn't been just a "logical ruse" and that he'd actually intended to go through with it if it hadn't been for Midoriya's quick thinking during the pitching test. I failed to see why it was him in last place and not that awful grape gremlin, considering Midoriya was one of the more physically fit of our class and sticky balls didn't really help in any test aside from the side steps or the jumping tests, certainly not any of the strength-related tests- which I called total bullshit on those anime physics. Maybe he'll be booted out of the hero course for the sports festival? I could even help that along. It wouldn't even be that hard. Surely U.A. has some sort of policy on sexual harassment?

The rest of the day was pretty normal for a hero school. We had English with pro hero and radio personality, Present Mic and mathematics with Cementoss. Even heroes in training have to learn how to solve for x. All in all, though, nothing unexpected happened today, but given I don't remember the exact timeline of the USJ arc, I should probably brush up on my notes. Should I risk keeping them on hand? No, they weren't exactly written in the Da Vinci code. Anyone with Spanish and English dictionaries could decipher them easily enough. Perhaps I could put them on my phone and hide them behind a password, less chance they'd be stumbled upon and less conspicuous than carrying papers around. With a nod, I resolved to get on that right away.

We didn't linger on campus after school as we said our goodbyes to Momo, who offered us a ride in her personal limo, which we declined. The commute home was just the same as this morning, but I managed to snag us seats this time, thankfully. I took the opportunity to see how my beloved twin was doing.

"So what did you think of our first day of school?"

"It was...better than expected." He hummed thoughtfully, probably comparing today to our past learning experiences.

"Good. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." I gave him a fond smile from where I rested my head on his shoulder. He rolled his eyes and poked my forehead.

"We're not there to have fun, Hien."

"Says who? Endeavor? If you asked me, I'd say this would be the perfect time to have fun! You know, stick it to the old man. Besides, we deserve to be happy, don't we? Becoming number one, that's Endeavor's plan, but it's your life to do with as you please. The best revenge is living well."

Shouto didn't answer, but I know he'd taken my words into consideration. We both decided that we'd do things our way. Yeah, we'd aim for number 1, but that's because we wanted to be the best heroes we could possibly be, not because some old man wants to live his dream vicariously through us.

* * *

That's the last of the revised chapters. Now I can move on to the new stuff :D Let me know if you like the changes I made. Please don't judge me too harshly OTL


	6. Watch Your Six

The second day started out much less exciting than yesterday. All of our morning classes were pretty normal for a hero school, the kinds of things we'd be learning at a regular high school. Despite having already been through this once, over the years I'd half-way forgotten most of my old high school curriculum. At least English would never be a problem for me, although history was just as awful as I remember it being the first time. Where's that history of Japan video when you need it?

At lunch, Shouto and I secluded ourselves in an empty corner of the cafeteria. At some point, I was going to push him into socializing with our classmates, but for now, I'd let him have his solitude, only because he wasn't entirely friendless like in the series. He had both myself and Momo, even if she was more my friend than his. Midoriya would come eventually and then Iida would follow. I was excited at the prospect of my little peppermint opening up and making friends.

"Hien-chan, Shouto-kun!" Momo waved at us as she approached our quiet little haven. Shouto gives her a brief nod of acknowledgment before returning to whatever had his attention on his phone. Momo gracefully sat in an empty seat across from mine, ever the lady she was raised to be.

"Hey, Yaomomo. Do you think you can lend me your history notes every once in a while? I'd ask Sho, but your handwriting's much prettier."

"Ah, still having trouble with Japanese history? Sure thing. I'll make you some flashcards for testing days too."

Shouto made that amused sound of his, indicating that he was still well aware of our conversation, and I elbowed him without looking in his direction. Jerk.

"Thanks, Momo. You're a queen."

* * *

Afternoon classes turned out to be much more interesting than our morning ones. To be expected, since our afternoon slots were reserved for hero-related classes. Today was our first lesson with the infamous All Might himself. Of course, no one but I knew that until the number one pro hero made his entrance like a weirdo. I swear I could almost hear his theme song playing the background. I was strangely giddy, though for different reasons than my classmates were. Unlike them, my admiration of All Might was of him as a character as opposed to him as the symbol of peace. To me, he was Dad Might before anything else. If I wasn't careful, I'd slip and call him dad or something.

I quietly giggled behind my hand at his over-the-top antics as everyone else ooh'd and awe'd about seeing him in person. For the first time since finding out, I'd be on the other side of the room from Shouto and Momo, I'm glad I sat in the very front of the room. My mirth went unnoticed by everyone.

"I teach Hero Basic Training. You will be training in various ways to learn the basics of being a hero. This is the class you'll be spending the most time on. We're going to jump right into it with Combat Training!"

Bakugou and Midoriya exclaimed behind me, and I could tell without looking that one of them was looking forward to this a lot more than the other.

"And to do that, you'll be needing these!"

Panels began sliding out from the wall to the left of me, and my giddiness went from a 4 to 10 right away. As exciting as seeing All Might in person was, this is the part I was looking forward to the most.

"Costumes made based on your quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started."

Everyone reacted with similar excitement. Oh, I couldn't wait to try mine on! I was practically bouncing in my seat. The class quickly grabbed their respective costume cases, and we all nearly ran for the locker rooms. I wasn't the only one who eagerly opened up their case to squeal over their suit. Embarrassingly, I almost tore a button off my shirt in my effort to get undressed as swiftly as possible.

The fabric of my suit was designed to be temperature resistant, like Shouto's original second design (that I convinced him to use as his first costume this time around). I'd based my own design on Wonder Woman's Justice League: War costume. Hey, I'm studying to be a hero, not a designer. I remember liking the costume and it wasn't like DC existed in this world to sue me for copyright. I was already planning on raking in that sweet Harry Potter money, anyway. Might as well go for broke. I did personalize it a bit so it wasn't a complete rip-off though. The costume would cover the tops of my thighs like a pair of shorts, and I left off the stars, as well as ditching the headband completely. I also planned to wear my hair differently, a braid or a bun perhaps. If Wonder Woman could kick ass with her long hair only loosely tied up, more power to her, but I preferred to keep my dual-colored hair as out of the way as possible.

The girls and I all preened in our costumes, showing off and being admired in turn. I internally winced at Momo's costume. Maybe I should have offered my help designing hers to be a little less revealing. If I remember correctly, she made the mistake of putting down "show as much skin as possible" without specifying what she'd prefer was kept covered. I'll bring it up to her after class.

We met up with the boys out in the hallway and spent even more time showing off for each other as we made our way to Ground Beta. I smiled in approval of Shouto's suit and he returned it with a nod. Unlike me, my twin had only seen my costume design on paper.

"Looking sharp, baby brother!"

He frowned, not liking being addressed as baby brother when we were the same age. "It's supposed to be practical."

"Doesn't mean you don't look good in it. Like a real hero." I rolled my eyes, for all his dry wit, he could be too serious sometimes.

An almost unnoticeable flush appeared on his appeared on his cheeks as he avoided my eyes. "You look nice, too."

Not willing to pass up a chance to destroy his ice prince reputation in front of our classmates, I kissed his cheek in thanks for the compliment, ignoring some of the snickers from the boys. With a grin, I dragged my flustered twin towards the training grounds.

I honestly felt super cool walking down the entrance tunnel like some kind of runway model and Shouto shook his head with an amused tilt of his lips at my silliness. All Might was waiting for us in front of the cityscape, admiring us as we walked into the light.

"They say the clothes make the man, young men and ladies. Know that from this point forward, you are heroes! You all look so cool! Now, are you ready to begin, you greenhorns?"

And then he got a look at Midoriya's costume. I could see him shaking in silent laughter. Same, All Might. No offense to mama Midoriya, her tailoring skills were actually quite good. It was Midoriya's design sense that left much to be desired. Thank the stars his costume will require an upgrade soon.

"Alright, let's get started."

"Sensei!" Iida speaks up with a question. "This is the battle center from the exams, will we be conducting urban battles again?"

"No, we'll be moving ahead of that. Normally speaking, fighting villains mostly takes place outdoors, but if you look at the numbers, villains appear indoors at a higher rate. In this day and age filled with heroes, the smartest villains hide in the shadows! For this class, you'll be split into heroes and villains and fight 2-on-2 indoor battles."

"Without basic training?"

"These are real fights to help you understand those basics. However, this time there won't be any robots to beat up."

The class began to bombard All Might with questions and the poor guy eventually had to pull out a script. If Shouto had been looking at me, he would've seen the mirthful gleam in my eyes despite my best poker face. He explained that we'd be either defending or stealing a fake nuclear weapon, depending on whether we were chosen to be heroes or villains. Our teams were assigned, and I was happily surprised to find myself paired up with Momo. The only pairs I could remember were the famous Uraraka/Deku vs Bakugou/Iida teams, and I don't think they showed any of the match outcomes besides that one anyway.

We gathered in the observation room to watch the absolute train wreck of a battle theirs would turn out to be. We could see them through the various camera throughout the building, but only All Might could hear them through the communicators. It was definitely a lot harder to follow along than it was while watching the anime. I already knew how everything would turn out so I brainstormed a couple of basic plans. I didn't remember whether Momo's team was heroes or villains, or who their opponents would be, not that it mattered much, seeing as I probably already messed up the matchups just by being partnered with her. I hoped we didn't end up going against Shouto, otherwise, our match might end up just as explosive as this one.

Fifteen minutes felt like an eternity and yet seemed to fly by as the two fated rivals met in a final collision of power that netted the Hero team a win. The building was almost demolished from the force of Midoriya's strategically placed punch. His arm was an awful mess of bruised flesh and broken bones and I cringed, knowing he must be in excruciating pain. Yeah, I'll definitely slip him the idea for arm braces to submit to the support department before they replace his costume. The less damage he causes to himself, the better.

* * *

The next teams to go after Midoriya was carted away to the infirmary was my brother and the arm guy, Shouji Mezou, against that awful grape boy, whom I've decided not to bother learning the name of, and the guy with the tail who introduced himself yesterday, Ojiro-san. As expected, Shouto dominated them by freezing the whole building over, even the grape's sticky balls were useless when they were covered in ice. Everyone praised him and I felt myself swell up in pride. That's my baby brother. I could see some of them give me considering looks, no doubt wondering if I'd be just as powerful.

The other matches seemed to go by quickly until it was mine and Momo's turn. We matched up against Jirou Kyoka, the earphone girl, and Denki-san, who looked more than a little wary about fighting the girl whose twin brother won his own match in under five minutes. Not to mention with Momo also being a recommended student, we were a strong team. Our plan was to have her create a barricade on the door, while I intercepted the other team to take them down as quickly as possible. We decided to make our base in a room on the second highest floor, to give ourselves a little extra time just in case. I froze over the door shut for extra security, having previously frozen as many extra doors on the way up as I could to throw them off our scent.

"You doing okay in there, Momo?"

 _"Yes, I've barricaded the door with steel bars. Even if they do find the weapon, I don't think Kaminari-san and Jirou-san will be able to break in."_

"I'll try to keep this short. Can't let my baby brother upstage me."

 _"You and your brother, honestly."_

I could hear the fond smile through her exasperation, but before I could respond, I was cut off by All Might calling start.

"I'm heading down now."

 _"Roger. Keep me posted."_

There was only one set of stairs on each floor so I decided to wait there. Unless they planned to scale the building from the outside, and since I knew neither had an appropriate quirk for getting around me, they'd have to face me head on. Sure enough, a spark of lighting came flying at me from the darkened hallway. I flung myself around the corner, taking refuge behind the wall. Taking a page from Shouto's book, I ignited my cold fire to the max, freezing over the surrounding area. I shot my flames down the corridor- aiming at the floor and not directly at them so I wouldn't cause immediate frostbite- and hearing two loud yelps, I knew I'd caught my targets. Combining both of my flames to make the most lukewarm fire I could (a light without heat, essentially), I blasted them directly this time, forcing them to close their eyes and cover their faces reflexively, and used the distraction to put them down without the risk of electrocution.

"Hero team wins!"

Momo gave a shout of excitement in my ear. I slumped, relieved that I hadn't messed this up. My two opponents groaned in defeat but were good sports about losing. I unfroze their legs as quickly as I could without burning them as they untangled themselves from the capture tape. I even offered to dry them off, which they gratefully accepted. Well, no one liked wearing wet clothes.

"Aw, thanks Hien-chan."

"Thanks, Todoroki."

"Hien's fine, Jirou-san." We got Momo out and made our way back to the observation room to hear the report of our match.

"Well done, ladies and young man. Can anyone tell me, who was the MVP of this match and why?"

Iida's hand shot in the air. "Sir, the MVP was Todoroki-san! Not only did she help secure the weapon, but she was also able to neutralize her opponents quickly and efficiently!"

"That's absolutely correct, young Iida!"

I blushed under the praise, but I wasn't nearly as happy as when Shouto gave me a congratulatory pat on the head. Overall, this wasn't so bad. Maybe I really can be a hero.

* * *

When I was writing the part where Hien blinds Kaminari and Jirou, my only thought was "The flames of my right hand and the flames of my left. Put the two together and this is what you get!" lolol


	7. Sixes and Sevens

The rest of our day progressed pretty smoothly after training. We had a few more hero related classes afterward like Hero Laws. At one point, I ended up getting a glance at Bakugou's face when I turned to look at my brother, and I couldn't help feeling bad for him. Not that I would ever tell the explosive boy that to his face. He was the type to hate any kind of sympathy and would likely blow up my face if I did say anything. As soon as the last bell rang, he was out of his seat and out the door, ignoring all of our classmates who tried to call out to him.

Bakugou had always been a fascinating character, according to my notes. If I went by how much meta and plot info I was able to write about certain characters, then it's easy to see that I favored Bakugou a great deal back then, along with Deku and Shouto (although Shouto won by a landslide nowadays). The old me would've attempted to help Bakugou using the knowledge she had about him and his personality tropes, and while that knowledge was still valid, there was more to it than that now. Bakugou was a human being, with all the complexities that entailed. I could no longer presume to know Bakugou or anyone else, nor would I act like I did. I would get to know them the way I did Shouto. Sure, I might use my knowledge to my advantage, but I wouldn't make assumptions based on fan theories and tv tropes.

Over the decade and a half since I've been on this earth, I have forgotten everything but the most basic of details about the cast of My Hero, but interacting with them, seeing who they are as people, has made me remember just why I'd loved the show so much before. I can see why the younger me who remembered things right off the bat like Bakugou's birthday (4/20, heh) or how Kirishima got his scar could write such passionate essays about them. But that younger me also thought of them as anime characters that she knew inside and out. To Hien however, they were people, complete strangers I didn't know beyond friendly acquaintance. I didn't feel the same attachment as I once did, though I know it would only be too easy for them to steal a piece of my heart if I gave them the chance.

For now, I'd let Bakugou be. If I got to know him and he considered me a friend (at least in his own way) then I'd meddle with his "character development" and butt into his personal business. Same for any other character. With a sigh, I finished packing my things as my twin appeared at my desk.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just about."

The group who tried to stop Bakugou (incidentally, most of the future Bakusquad, if I recall) turned to us in various degrees of disappointment.

"You're leaving too, Hien-chan and Todoroki-kun?" Mina pouted, cheeks puffed up.

"Yes, we're expected at home," I answered for the both of us. Endeavor had scheduled a training session for today, and neither of us was looking forward to it. He probably wanted to ask about All Might and make sure we weren't getting lax just because school started.

"Aww, that's too bad. We wanted to hang out for a bit and talk." Eijirou sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck while giving us his usual toothy smile.

"Sorry, maybe next time." And there would definitely be a next time. I was determined to help Shouto make friends whether he liked it or not. I'm sure he already knew or at least suspected my intentions- I did the same thing when we first met Momo at some charity ball for pro heroes- but he trusted me enough to know his limits and not push him too far.

* * *

The next day, we were met with the sight of a crowd of reporters in front of the gates. I eyed them distastefully as one particularly pushy reporter tried to get some kind of statement out of us. We ignored them and stepped through the gates. A few of our classmates got waylaid by the bothersome journalists, but Aizawa-sensei seemed to be stepping out to handle them.

"Todoroki, both of you, get to class or you'll be late."

"Yes, sir."

He must have sent the others in after us because I could hear Bakugou's thundering steps behind us. Well, someone's in a bad mood. The reporters must have annoyed him. Everyone settled down quickly in their seats, not wanting to get on Aizawa-sensei's bad side again. I waved a greeting to Momo before I sat at my desk since I didn't get a chance to say good morning. Sensei went over yesterday's training quickly, rebuking Bakugou and Midoriya who seemed to take his advice to heart. The pro hero mentioned something about a last minute thing and everyone held their breath that it wasn't another crazy test.

"Today you'll be deciding on a class representative."

Everyone started clamoring excitedly to be chosen, making a ruckus I took advantage of to sit sideways in my seat to look at everyone else. Iida cut through the noise with an even louder shout to get everyone's attention.

"This is a job with the serious responsibility to lead others. It is not a job for just anyone who wants to do it. It requires the trust of those around you. That is why we should decide who to elect with a vote."

I huffed a quiet laugh at his very obvious desire to be chosen, despite his attempts to be impartial and fair.

"We don't know each other all that well."

"Yeah, wouldn't everyone just vote for themselves?"

"That just means we need to add a rule that you can't vote for yourself."

The whole class turned to me in surprise. They hadn't expected one of the elusive Todoroki twins to actively participate in the discussion. I may have been more approachable and less aloof than Shouto, but I hadn't gone out of my way to drag him out of his reclusive tendencies, thus making me reserved by default.

"I don't care how you do it, as long as you decide before homeroom is over." With his piece said, Aizawa-sensei laid down in his yellow caterpillar sleeping bag to take a nap.

"Todoroki-chan's right. That'll make it fair."

Everyone seemed to be in agreement. Since Iida was the one to suggest it, he was the one in charge of doing the polling. The results were pretty clear. At the top was Momo. No one else even came close. She must have made an impression on everyone during training yesterday. Good for her. Followed by her at a tie with two votes each was surprisingly Midoriya and even more surprisingly, myself. I could guess that Shouto voted for me, the ass. The second vote probably came from Momo, since we both knew my less sociable brother would hate being class president.

"Well, looks like we have a clear winner."

"Who the hell voted for Deku?!"

"Better than voting for you."

"What did you just say?!"

Seeing Bakugou get all riled up from a little teasing would have been funny if I didn't have the misfortune of sitting right in front of him and getting an earful of his yelling. I looked past him to Midoriya seated behind him and offered him a small smile that immediately had him flushed. Man, this kid would give me such an ego boost if I didn't know that he's had zero interaction with a nice, pretty girl until a few weeks ago and just wasn't used to any kind of female attention.

"Looks like we tied, Midoriya-san."

"Y-yeah, I c-can't believe I got tw-two votes!"

"I'm sure your friends thought you deserved it. You must be pretty reliable then if even they think so after only knowing you a short while."

He laughed nervously, face completely pink. Even the tips of his ears hadn't been spared. I could feel Bakugou glaring daggers at the both of us, which only seemed to make Midoriya even more nervous, but before either of us were subjected to another round of yelling, the guy in the back who sat next to my brother spoke up.

"Ah, but what about Midoriya and Todoroki?"

"Yeah, they'll need a tiebreaker won't they?"

I interrupted before anyone suggested another vote. "Midoriya-san can be vice-president. I don't mind letting him have it. He seems like a pretty cool guy." I couldn't help throwing in that last bit just to tease the poor boy.

Bakugou looked ready to explode again when everyone started saying they wouldn't mind being represented by Momo and Midoriya, but by that point, the matter was settled. I'm fairly certain I changed something accidentally because my notes said Iida was our class representative, but I don't know how. Maybe it was because I got involved in the voting process? It didn't seem like too big a deal and Momo was just as responsible and dependable as Iida anyway.

* * *

Lunchtime rolled around and Shouto and I sequestered ourselves in our little corner. Momo had elected to sit with some of our other classmates in order to get to know them better as class president.

"We should follow Momo's example, you know. Make some friends maybe."

He hummed noncommittedly and I puffed my cheeks in displeasure.

"Come on, baby brother. What about that boy who sits in front of you, with the feathers? He seems like he prefers the quiet like you do."

"I don't need you to set me up with friends, Hien. I'm fine with just you and Yaoyorozu."

I gasped, affronted. "First of all, I'm only trying to help you with your people skills you awkward hermit. Secondly, if Yaomomo's your friend, then you should call her Momo! She calls you Shouto, doesn't she?"

"That's because she knows I prefer it over Todoroki, and it's more convenient."

I groaned in annoyance, signaling that I'm giving up the topic, for now at least. I wasn't quite ready to admit defeat just yet. My little strawberry vanilla swirl would learn the power of friendship even if it killed. Already I was making plans to invite the other reclusive students to our table tomorrow. We could start our own introverts club. Just like my old high school days.

Just then, an alarm sounded throughout the cafeteria. Oh, that's today, isn't it? The reporters from before managed to break in. Which means... Shit. The League of Villains. Already? I'd been under the impression that the timeline wasn't so condensed. It's only April and since everything takes place over the course of the semester, I'd thought I had some time. It's a good thing I'd already transferred my notes over to my phone. I needed to study them as much as possible.

Shouto and I calmly followed behind the mob of panicking students, not wanting to get caught up in the crowd. Neither of us was particularly worried about being one of the last ones to evacuate since we were both confident in our abilities, and I knew it was a false alarm anyway.

Things actually calmed down rather quickly thanks to "Emergency Exit" Iida (lol) and Midoriya ended up handing over his vice-president position to him. I was a bit too preoccupied with my own thoughts, which Shouto commented on, but didn't push for information. I never kept things from him, at least not that he knew, so he probably expected I'd tell him whatever was bothering me at some point. I didn't see the point in telling him about the USJ arc now. He'd only worry and probably do something drastic. I know he'd believe me if I ever came clean about myself and my knowledge- it was an unspoken thing that he suspected there was something different about me- but if any of the teachers got wind of what I knew... Well, they would be a lot harder to convince, and I didn't want to be under that kind of scrutiny anyway. I knew given how dire things would get in the future that I might not get the luxury of keeping that secret. There would probably come a day where I'd be forced to tell someone.

I gave Shouto's hand a squeeze as we made our way back to the estate. I'd tell him first. He'd be upset at me for keeping secrets, but he deserved to hear it from me freely and not because circumstances pushed me to.

* * *

I don't know if any of you noticed in the last chapter, but in case you were wondering, the student that Hien replaced was Hagakure Tooru, the invisible girl. It always irked me that she somehow made it into the hero course with a non-combative quirk, when they made such a big deal about physical quirks being heavily favored during Shinsou's character development during the sports festival. Like how exactly does being invisible help you destroy robots, and for that matter, how did she beat Midoriya during the quirk tests? There's even a scene where they show her struggling to do a pull-up, so clearly, she wasn't any more physically fit than your average teenage girl. How did her overall scores manage to come out higher than his when, not only is he stronger and faster than her _without his quirk_ , but he also used OFA once during the pitching test with a score she would never be able to come close to? So yeah, that's always bothered me and I decided to get rid of her. I would've gotten rid of the grape, but at least his quirk has _some_ kind of physical application.


	8. Behind the Eight Ball

A talent I had prided myself on in my previous life was my ability to distract myself from even the worst of situations. Looming deadlines and overwhelming workloads? Cool, I just got into this new Netflix series. Just had my heart broken? Neat, my favorite author just updated their 100k+ fic. The ennui and fugue from not knowing what I want to do in life? Well, this song always makes me feel like getting up and moving. The point is, as sick to my stomach as I felt about the attack at USJ, it was relatively simple for me to completely shut it out of my mind as long as I had something to preoccupy myself with, like our lessons. I was a more attentive student that day then I can ever remember being.

I was tense all day, although I'm sure only Shouto and maybe Aizawa-sensei noticed. I told my concerned twin that I was just having a really bad feeling that something would happen, which he accepted fully. I'd proven my "instincts" right many numbers of times growing up, so when I said I thought something might happen, Shouto was inclined to believe me even if there was nothing alluding to such a thing occurring. Most people would be surprised to find out my brother was the superstitious sort- what with his hand crusher curse. I suspected his ongoing theory was that I was some sort of psychic. I wonder if reincarnation ever crossed his mind?

Finally came the moment I'd been dreading. After lunch, Aizawa-sensei announced we'd be having rescue training for the day with All Might (who wouldn't make it) and another person (the space hero, Thirteen). He gave us the option to suit up since some of our costumes could be considered a hindrance in a rescue situation, but only Midoriya didn't wear his, and that was out of necessity since the support department hadn't fixed it up for him yet. I loved my costume. I didn't think I'd ever get tired of putting it on. Although, I could've done without that grape lecher blatantly ogling me. In hindsight, perhaps I should've thought the skintight aspect of my suit design through.

We were quickly bundled up on the bus to the rescue training grounds. Poor Iida's seating plan got derailed humorously, or at least, it would've been funny if I hadn't felt so anxious. I sat next to my brother near the back in one of the forward facing rows behind Bakugou and Jirou (poor girl). Normally Shouto would've taken the window seat so he could hide away from other people, but he ushered me in first and sat in the aisle seat. I must have looked worse than I thought I did. Thankfully, he didn't push for any answers, just offered his shoulder for me to rest on which I took him up on, lacing my fingers with his. It didn't take long for my twin to nod off, his head falling softly onto mine. My stomach no longer felt queasy as I listened to his soft breathing. Even without saying anything, Shouto knew exactly what to do to help me feel better at least a little.

We disembarked from the bus to see this giant arena looking building. It was a lot bigger in person, but I should've expected that given this is U.A. I checked my phone quickly, noting the time, and seeing that I still had a signal, initiated the first part of my plan. I had decided there was no way to prepare for this in advance without coming clean, which would take too long to convince the right people that I was telling the truth, so my plan was simple, 1) alert the school sooner than canon did, and 2) stall for time as long as possible. The first part was easy. I had a text prepared in advance that I scheduled to be sent two minutes from now, just before the attack. The second part meant willingly throwing myself into the fray and thinning out the enemy's numbers. I wasn't so worried about the small-fry. They were petty criminals at best, easy enough to take care of with my training (never thought I'd actually thank Endeavor for that). It was Fuckhands McMike and his Frankenstein pet that terrified me, so I would stay the hell away and leave them to All Might and Aizawa-sensei.

At the entrance, we were greeted by Thirteen, who informed Aizawa-sensei that All Might couldn't make it. Well, hello there anxiety. Haven't seen you in fifteen years. My body started shaking lightly, thankfully unnoticeable. Thirteen-sensei gave some kind of speech that I couldn't hear over the sound of my pounding heart, and it took everything I had to keep my breathing even as I kept my eyes locked on the courtyard area where the villains would warp in. I saw the exact moment that purple mist person started to materialize and immediately raised the alarm.

"Sensei, what's that?!"

Both teachers turned to look at the swirling mass of mist that kept growing in size. Instantly, Aizawa-sensei gave Thirteen-sensei the order to protect us as he readied himself to confront the villains that were now pouring out of the warp gate in droves. There must have been dozens, maybe 50 or 60? I know there would've been at least ten villains for each separated group, and that was low-balling it. Shouto gripped my hand, realizing this must have been what my "foreboding" feeling was about. His grip tightened and I guessed he felt my terrified tremors.

"There's no way villains could've gotten in!"

"Sensei, what about the trespassing sensors?"

"Well, we have them, but..."

"Did they only appear here, or around the whole school? Either way, if the sensors are not responding, that means they have someone with a quirk that can do that. An isolated area separated from the main campus during a time when a class is supposed to be here. They might be fools but they're not dumb. This surprise attack was planned with some sort of goal in mind."

My sweet baby brother once again showed what a brilliant person he is, figuring out all this just from knowing the sensors aren't working. I pull out my phone again- no signal this time- and almost sighed with relief that the text had gone through just in the nick of time. With a trembling voice, I get the ball rolling for the next part of my plan.

"Sensei! I got a text through, but I lost the signal right away. If they have a quirk that can jam the sensors, then they probably cut off any sort of signal as well. We won't be able to call the school. They don't want anyone coming to our rescue."

"Good thinking, Todoroki. Let's hope that one text was enough. Thirteen, start the evacuation. Try calling the school anyway, maybe you can get through eventually. Kaminari, you try contacting the school with your quirk."

"Yes, sir!"

"Sensei, are you going to fight them all by yourself? There's no way you can take on that many even if you erase all their quirks!"

"You don't get to be a pro by being a one-trick pony."

That was pretty cool, actually. Too bad I wasn't in any state to actually appreciate it. Shouto's hand in mine was about the only thing keeping me from outright panicking. Aizawa-sensei jumped down the stairs and immediately started taking villains down left and right. It was a very reassuring sight, even though I knew he'd be eventually taken down if I didn't change anything. Still, seeing Eraserhead in action, the worst of my anxiety seemed to pass. I wasn't fighting alone, two pro-hero teachers and our classmates were no slouches either, despite their lack of training. All I had to do was remember that everything worked out in a future past when the odds were slightly worse.

Thirteen-sensei directed us back towards the entrance and we all took off running, Shouto practically dragging me with him if I hadn't been keeping up on my own. Unfortunately, we were cut off by the warp quirk guy.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that. Pardon the intrusion. We are the League of Villains, a pleasure to meet you. We have come to ensure All Might, the symbol of peace, breathes his last. He should have been here. Was there some kind of schedule change? Well, either way, this is what I must do."

Both Thirteen and the mist guy prepared to attack, but before either of them could do anything, Bakugou and Eijirou both charged right in.

"You fucking idiots!"

No one had time to surprised by my vulgar language. Mist guy surrounded us and I was thankful that Shouto and I hadn't let go of each other. Even if he scattered our classmates, I'd at least be with my twin. The warp was disorienting and my vision was obscured, but I could still feel the reassuring vice grip on my hand even as the mist disappeared and we were falling from the sky. A scream caught in my throat, but with Shouto's quick thinking, he used my hand to pull me to him and hold me more securely as he made an ice ramp for us to slide down safely.

Almost immediately, we were surrounded by about half a dozen D-list villains. I didn't hesitate and launched a volley of cold flames, coating everything they touched in ice. It seems my twin had the same idea since the ground was covered by ice that spread from his right side and encased their lower halves.

"I hate to say this, but they look like guys with quirks they don't know what to do with."

"Yeah, probably petty criminals at worst. Only a handful of them are likely to give us any real trouble. They're most likely the ones in charge of this whole operation."

He didn't respond, so I turned away from surveying our surroundings (we ended up in the landslide zone, it appeared) to look at him. He was scrutinizing me closely, and I scrunched my brow, unsure of what he was looking for.

"Sho?"

"This is what you were anxious about."

I was caught off guard, not expecting him to bring it up right then. I grimaced and nodded, feeling incredibly vulnerable under his intense gaze. Lying to him had never felt right, but the thought of telling the truth made me feel worse. At first, it was because he was too young to understand, and when he was older, I wanted to protect him, from villains and the burden of knowing too much. The longer I waited, the harder it was to tell him. But trying to fix things on my own and realizing how little I could actually do, how powerless I was in the grand scheme of things? The truth is, I was selfish and arrogant to think I could change everything on my own. I wasn't the main character, center-stage and the lynchpin who's every action was the driving force of the plot. I was a side character at best, barely a secondary character with little development and screen-time. I should have told him sooner, but life was too short to waste on should'ves, could'ves and would'ves. I had already resolved to tell him at some point, even if I kept putting it off because of my own fears. This was just the push I needed to tell him everything.

"Shouto, I need to tell you something important. It'll probably answer a lot of questions about me that you might've been wondering about, and you'll probably be upset with me for keeping this from you, but I really need to tell you this because I can't handle it on my own anymore and I really need your help."

He gave me a hard stare and I felt tears start to sting my eyes. In all our years of life together, Shouto and I have never fought, disagreed sometimes, but never truly fought. Most likely because I had always been too mature for us to clash like that. Now though, I didn't want him to be angry at me, but that was the price I'd have to pay for keeping secrets.

"After we get out of here. We need to figure out our next step."

I nodded tearfully, pulling myself together to focus on the task at hand. "Logically, it would be to regroup with the others and escape, wouldn't it? But we should get as much information as possible from these thugs first."

He stepped up to one of the frozen villains and threatened some answers out him. They didn't know much, being cannon fodder that they were, just the basics. They called themselves the League of Villains (which I already knew) and they worked under Fuckhands McMike (also knew that). Their job was to keep everyone else busy while their secret weapon took on All Might. They assumed they'd overpower us with sheer numbers. They weren't expecting a bunch of rookies to kick their asses.

"We don't know where everyone else is, but if we landed here, it's logical to assume that the others were sent to the other areas. There's only one exit, so everyone will be making their way to the central plaza. Let's go."

We didn't waste any time and used our quirks to make it down the slope as fast as possible. By the time we reached the fountain area, All Might had made it and was facing off with the Noumu, while Aizawa-sensei kept the mist guy and the hands guy busy, despite his injured state. My heart lurched in relief. If he was still up and fighting, that means that All Might showed up quick enough to save him. His arms looked messed up, and he seemed to be on his last leg, but at least he was conscious and his face hadn't been smashed in.

Just as we arrived, Bakugou burst in with an explosion, capturing the mist guy. Using the element of surprise while we still had it, Shouto and I worked in tandem like the well-oiled machine we were trained to be. A wave of freezing cold swept over the plaza, stopping the Noumu in its tracks completely. I didn't bother keeping my cold at a humanly tolerable temperature; I went straight for deep frostbite. The thing could regenerate entire limbs almost instantly, but maybe we could pull a Roy Mustang and destroy its body enough that it can no longer heal itself.

"Midoriya! Bakugou! Kirishima! Todoroki! What do you think you're doing?! Evacuate immediately!"

"Sorry, sensei. You looked like you needed a little help."

"Don't be stupid! Leaves this to the pros and get to safety."

Bakugou, surprisingly rational, or maybe not, countered with, "Ain't nobody safe until the last villain's down, teach."

Shigaraki (I much preferred Fuckhands McMike) chose that moment to interrupt. "Noumu."

Just like I expected, the thing started moving again, necrotic flesh breaking off to reveal regenerating tissue. Everyone looked shocked.

"Shock absorption wasn't his quirk?!"

If that stupid hand wasn't covering his face (were those things ever explained?) I'm sure that bastard would've been grinning like a lunatic. "I didn't say that was all he had. This is his super-regeneration. Noumu has been modified to take you at 100%. First, we need to take our gate back. Go, Noumu."

Faster than we can see, the creature (it was no longer a person at this point) moved, creating a blast that had us literally blown away. When the dust settled, All Might had been pushed through a wall and the mindless beast had taken the mist guy, Kurogiri, back. Bakugou had been saved from being killed by All Might and was safe with us. Aizawa-sensei took the chance to stand protectively in front of us.

"Hurry you five. Leave, now. Go with the others and let us handle this."

"But sensei-"

"Don't argue! Go!"

Before we even had a chance to obey, the villains rushed us. All Might intercepted them by trading blows with the Noumu that were so powerful, nobody could get near them if they tried. We were all left standing in awe as All Might gave it his all and managed to overpower his monstrous foe. I was particularly dumbstruck. Despite living in a world that was governed by anime physics for the last fifteen years, everyday life wasn't all that different from before, and even quirks followed certain rules and were limited by the laws of reality, for all that they were something out of a literal shounen manga. But this moment right here reminded me that no, quirks did not actually follow the laws of the natural world as I'd known it. I'd just accepted that as part of this world and therefore perfectly normal, which they certainly were not. Case in point, All Might, with one last explosive punch, sent the Noumu flying straight through the roof with a force that shook the whole building.

"What amazing power!"

"He must have hit him so fast he couldn't regenerate."

"So this is what it's like to be a pro?"

Aizawa-sensei, ever the cool-headed professional, barked at us to quit gawking and get a move on before he had us all expelled for not following orders. That kicked us all into gear and we started heading towards the stairs. Looking up, I immediately spotted a sight that could've brought tears to my eyes.

"That includes you too, Midoriya."

I turned to see the green-haired boy hesitating behind us, eyes filled with worry watching All Might. Oh, right. He thinks he's the only one who knows about All Might's secret, and nobody else had noticed our back-up had arrived. I reach out, grabbing his arm to pull him away before he did something stupidly heroic again.

"Everyone, look!"

They all, including the villains, turned at my voice and looked where I was pointing. Right as they saw it, Shigaraki staggered back from being shot.

"It's the pros! They're here!"

Kurogiri rushed to envelop him, defending him from the hail of bullets. While they attempting to warp away, Thirteen's Blackhole almost pulled them in, but they managed to escape. I dropped Midoriya's arm, which I'd forgotten I still had, in favor of hanging on my taller twin instead.

"That was kind of terrifying."

Shouto didn't respond, just patted my head comfortingly. That was okay. Words were nice to hear, but I preferred physical acts of affection, a carry-over from my previous western upbringing. My baby brother wasn't much of a talker anyway.

The weak villains, whose unconscious bodies were still littered all over the plaza, were captured right away before any of them even had a chance to come to. The teachers split up to rescue our other classmates and made quick work of rounding up all the villains, 72 of them in total. Aside from All Might, Aizawa-sensei, and Thirteen-sensei, nobody was seriously injured. Midoriya even managed to only break his fingers this time. I felt conflicted. Sure Midoriya wasn't bedridden, and Aizawa-sensei would only need his broken arms fixed up instead of almost potentially going blind, but did I really make any difference? No, I can't think like that. No change, no matter how small, is pointless, especially if it saves someone a little bit of hurt.

Speaking of hurt... I glanced at Shouto as we waited outside the USJ to be questioned and dismissed by the police. Tonight then. No more waiting.

* * *

Hot damn, my biggest chapter yet. A few things, I was wondering what you guys thought of my chapter titles. They make me feel clever even though they're not lol. I did go back and edit a couple of things since I recently found out what the Todoroki brothers' names were, and I changed the cover picture to a sketch I made of Hien. That's the photo on her student ID. She normally wears her shirt untucked and her tie much looser. I also thought you guys might be interested in a quick little bio for Hien.

Todoroki Hien (轟氷炎)

Quirk: Cold Burn

DOB: 1/11

Height: 171 cm

Blood Type: O

Likes: strawberry milk, K-Pop

Dislikes: bitter foods, surprises

Secret Talent: able to memorize music video choreography


	9. Stitch in Time Saves Nine

Dinner was a quiet affair between the present Todoroki, that is, Fuyumi, Shouto and myself. Our elder sister kept giving us concerned glances, sensing the slight air of tension between my twin and me. My stomach was up in knots and my food seemed bland and I found I didn't have much of an appetite. Out of all of us, Shouto seemed the least bothered, keeping his usual calm and cool demeanor. When I'd eaten as much as I could stomach, I excused myself from the table and went back to my room, waiting for him to join me as I knew he would. Not two minutes later, my precious twin steps into my room, closing the door behind him. With a smile that was more of a grimace, I patted the bed beside me, straightening the stack of old notes I pulled out for our discussion as he sat down ready to hear what I had to tell him.

"You know how I've always been a little different from most people? How I always seemed to know things I shouldn't know? There's a reason for that."

He nodded, as if I had merely confirmed it for him, but didn't interrupt me.

"Do you believe in reincarnation?"

His eyes widened and his mouth dropped a little, and in any other circumstance I would've found it downright adorable, but I was more concerned about how he would react after the initial surprise.

"You remember your past lives? I thought you were some kind of psychic."

Some of the heaviness leaves the conversation as my lips twitch in amusement. "Past _life_. Just the one, Sho. I can't see dead people or read minds or anything else."

He frowns, but not an angry one, more of puzzled expression. "That explains a lot, actually. Why didn't you say anything?"

I snorted. "Oh yeah, like it's that easy. It's not like anyone would believe me. And besides, what business is it of anyone else's whether or not I remember my past life? I only kept it secret because you were too young and then later it was just habit to hide it."

His frown became more pronounced, actually upset this time, and I slumped in on myself. "You should've said something sooner. It's not like anything's really changed. No matter who you were before, you're still Todoroki Hien now."

My shoulders dropped in relief, tension leaving my body visibly, causing my sweet baby brother's lips to quirk in a small smile. The first part was over, and though I know he was probably still a little upset with me over keeping secrets, it was nowhere as bad as I'd made myself nearly sick imagining. In hindsight, I felt more than a little ridiculous entertaining the thought that Shouto would actually hate me over this, especially when I knew the only person he truly hated was Endeavor. Somehow, my brain had equated lying to my twin with being as much of an absolute garbage can as that man. Hmm, maybe I shouldn't have worried about Shouto being the one to develop a sibling complex...

"How did you know about the USJ?"

His question was like a bucket of ice water being dumped over me. This was the second, more difficult part. Reincarnation? Yeah, sure okay, but explaining that you know the future because you came from a world where this one was a fictional story for other's entertainment? That was an identity crisis waiting to happen, so I decided on a half-truth. I couldn't- _wouldn't_ \- lie about knowing the future, but I didn't have to explain where exactly the knowledge came from. I could probably cover up the how through some aspect of my reincarnation. With a deep breath, I steeled myself for the next part of our conversation. This I sure he would be much more upset about.

"I knew about it before. I know a lot of things that happened before that haven't happened yet, but not very far. Only until around the end of this year. So I was kinda reborn in the past." Which was technically true, if I considered that canon takes place just a couple years before I died. "And before you ask, I didn't tell anyone about the attack because who would believe me? It's not like the teachers would just take my word on it without any proof. Besides, I didn't even know when the attack would happen until the day before. I didn't have enough time to do anything to stop it, but I remembered from before that only the teachers and one student got hurt so I knew things would turn out okay and I even alerted the school much earlier than they would have been!"

I knew I was rambling, trying to justify my decisions to him and make him see things my way. Perhaps I had a point, but I also knew I had been incredibly selfish by not at least trying to do something more. I had taken a risk, and it was only luck that the gamble paid off and things didn't go pear-shaped. I had let my pride and fear cloud my judgment.

"I thought I could change everything just because I knew what would happen. I was stupid and selfish."

"Yes, you were."

I flinched but didn't protest, knowing I deserved whatever beratement came my way.

"But you were also scared."

I looked up in surprise from where my gaze had fallen to my lap. It was moments like this that reminded me that though I had the benefit of living two lifetimes, that did not automatically mean I always knew better. I had always been the mature one between the two of us, but my mental age had stagnated around the age that I'd died and now that my physical body was starting to catch up with my mental maturity, I found myself being startled when Shouto displayed a maturity I didn't expect from a child. I forgot that he was growing up too.

Noticing my surprised stare, he snorted. "You may be older than you look, Hien, but I've still known you the entirety of my life. I know you better than anyone else, even more so now. You always try to be the strong one. Always looking after me, protecting me. That's why you didn't tell me sooner, right? You didn't want to worry me. You lean on me, but you don't depend on me when it really matters."

I gave him a wan smile. He was right, of course, he was right. What good was a support pillar if I didn't actually rely on it when I needed it most? For all that I praised his brilliance, I really didn't give my baby brother enough credit.

"I'm sorry. Will you help me? I can't do this alone anymore."

His face held its usual neutral expression, but I could see the pleased glint in his eyes that I wasn't going to continue with my misguided attempt to shield him from my knowledge.

"We stand together, as we always have."

Unexpected tears sprung from my eyes and half-forgotten lyrics came to mind. _I didn't want to say I protected you, and you were never weak. I'm number two. You were stronger than I have ever been, and you mean more to me than you know._ With a watery, but determined smile, I nodded.

"So what are those papers for?"

* * *

I didn't tell Shouto everything, just gave a quick overview, no details or anything. For all that I was willing to be more open with my twin about my knowledge, I was wary about revealing too much too soon. I told him that the League of Villains would be back, as well as the Hero Killer Stain, though I didn't tell him how we would encounter them. Shouto was all for immediately informing the school, but I put a stop to that by bringing up the potential traitor. I agreed that at the very least, Principal Nedzu, Aizawa-sensei, and All Might would have to know, but I refused to tell anyone else.

I also reasoned that I didn't have much in the way of proof of my future knowledge. Yes, I could tell them what would happen, and they might believe me when it came true, but that would take too long, and the most of what happens is all life-threatening stuff anyway. I was reasonably sure I could convince All Might by revealing my knowledge of One for All and about his identity, but Aizawa-sensei would be the harder one to convince, and the principal was up in the air.

At any rate, the school was closed down for a few days while they tightened up security. We made use of our free time by training as hard as possible. We both wanted to be prepared for everything that was coming our way. I told him about the upcoming sports festival that would be announced on the day of our arrival and I was looking forward to having my first "prediction" come true.

I spent our time training coming up with some new moves, I could use as ultimate moves later. The first I'd already used once before, creating light without heat by combining my hot and cold flames. I called it Flashbang. I also took inspiration from other series's fire-based moves. Firebending was a prominent one. Then there was a move I recalled where the character used his flames like thrusters, similar to how Bakugou moved in the air, but with better maneuverability that came from a constant stream of flames as opposed to repetitive explosions. It took some practice, but eventually, I was flying like a baby bird on its first successful flight, and I'd only refine my technique in the coming weeks before the sports festival. A huge advantage, seeing as Bakugou was probably now the only one in class who could keep up with me off the ground.

Our break ended faster than I would've liked. My brother had managed to convince me to talk to All Might. Oddly enough, I'd been more terrified of telling Shouto my secret than I was about telling the number one hero that I knew all of his. I sighed, cheek resting on my hand. Everyone was talking about the USJ incident and how we ended up on the news. I glanced behind me to check on Midoriya's fingers, but accidentally caught Bakugou's eye. I automatically gave him an acknowledging smile, but he scoffed and looked away.

"Everyone! Homeroom is about to start. Please settle down and take your seats!"

"You're the only one who's not seated, class prez."

"Oh yeah, who's going to teach homeroom?"

"Well, Aizawa-sensei's still injured..."

Just then, to the surprise of everyone but myself, the man himself walked in covered in casts and bandages (though how he managed to open the door with two broken arms I'll never know).

"Speak of the devil."

"Sensei, should you really be working in your condition?!"

"My well-being doesn't matter. More importantly, the fight isn't over yet."

Everyone tensed up at his pronouncement, but I was left scowling at the dismissal of his health. Just because broken arms aren't life-threatening, doesn't mean he shouldn't take them seriously.

"The U.A. Sports Festival is drawing near."

The class collectively flipped its shit. Aizawa-sensei reassured their security concerns, and I already knew nothing would happen to interrupt it. He mentioned the importance of doing well at the sports festival to get good internship offers. Again, I wasn't concerned since Shouto and I would probably just accept Endeavor's offer.

Lunchtime rolled around, and I stiffly rose from my seat, looking back at Shouto who nodded at me, making his way toward me. Shoulders stiff, I allowed him to guide me to the staff room, where hopefully, All Might would be. If not, we would have to put off our talk for after school. As luck would have it, we were able to catch him before he left for his own lunch break.

"Ah, Todoroki-shounen, Todoroki-shoujo. Can I help you?"

Clutching my twin's hand for support, I took a deep breath and looked our teacher in the eyes. "Sir, we need to talk."

* * *

I always forget to mention something here and then I have to wait until I'm done with the next chapter so I can inform you guys lol. I drew a couple more sketches of Hien if you guys are interested. Just search for username snowywyvern or Hien U.A. uniform. Anyway, points to anyone who can tell me what song Hien was thinking of.


	10. Ten-Four

All Might tried to excuse himself quickly, probably to talk to his successor about making a big entrance at the sports festival, but Shouto insisted it was important and he relented. We were led to the teacher's lounge, which was empty. My hands felt a little sweaty so I wiped them on my skirt nervously. It was awkwardly quiet for a minute as we sat across from each other. Eventually, my twin must have got tired of my stalling and nudged me. I looked at him with panicked eyes. What exactly was I supposed to say?! It wasn't like with him. I didn't have the benefit of years of evidence piling up in my favor for such a ridiculous claim.

"Todoroki-shoujo, Todoroki-shounen, is something the matter? As your teacher, I will do my best to help you, whatever it may be."

Shouto took pity on me and broached the topic for me. "Hien knows the future."

Both All Might and I choked in surprise at the bold declaration. Well, no one ever said Todoroki Shouto ever hesitated when he had his mind set on something.

"Hahaha, a funny joke, Todoroki-kun, but I'm well aware Todoroki-chan's quirk isn't clairvoyance."

I shifted nervously and took a steadying breath. "Your name is Yagi Toshinori." I ignored the explosion of blood from his mouth and my twin's startled noise. "Your quirk is called One for All. It's a stockpiling quirk that exponentially increases in strength the more it is passed on. You inherited it from your predecessor, Shimura Nana, the seventh One for All holder. It originated when a man called All for-"

"Todoroki-shoujo!" All Might's mouth was dripping with blood as he frantically waved his arms, trying to stop me from revealing anything else. It was probably only his immense self-control that kept him from "popping" and revealing his skinny form.

"How do you know all this?!"

I raised a brow as if the answer was obvious. "Like Sho said, I know the future. You told- will tell- someone else this so I already know about it. I can keep going if you don't believe me."

"No, no, no, no. That's alright. I believe you." He glanced around the room as if he was afraid that someone had overheard me. "How did you come to know this information exactly?"

I shrugged helplessly. Shouto had agreed that I should keep the exact details of my rebirth quiet. Like I'd said before, it wasn't anyone's business but my own what my life was before.

"I've always known certain things I shouldn't, ever since I was born. I wanted to warn you about some events that I wanted to prevent happening in the future. The easiest way was to tell you first. We were hoping you could help us convince the principal. I...can't change anything on my own. I'm just a student. But you, sir, you can act in ways I can't, minimize or prevent the damage altogether."

My fists clenched in my skirt and I stared unflinchingly at his bright blue eyes, and we held the gaze as he assessed me.

"I see. Very well, Todoroki-shoujo. I assume by future events, you're referring to the League of Villains?"

I nodded, confirming his suspicions.

"Then perhaps we should bring the principal into this conversation. Wait here, I will retrieve him." He stood, clearly troubled by what I knew, but All Might will always be All Might, so before he opened the door, he turned back to look at us. "Thank you for coming forward with this, Todoroki-chan. It was very brave of you. I'm sure you were very worried, but fear not, for I am here."

A fond smile came to my lips unbidden. Trust the number one hero to put aside his own worries to comfort a distressed student. I gave a grateful nod and he quickly left to find Principal Nedzu. I slumped over on my brother and he patted my head.

"Good job."

I grunted something that was meant to resemble a thanks and buried my face in his shoulder.

"Is that really what his name and quirk are?"

I snorted but hummed in confirmation. "He doesn't actually look like that either. His quirk allows him to beef up, but thanks to an injury he received, his natural form is a lot thinner and weaker. That's also why he was coughing up blood."

I saw the puzzled expression on his face and I knew he was trying to picture a skinny All Might when he only knows the strong, muscled version of him. I couldn't help myself; I smooshed his adorable cheeks, much to his exasperation and resignation. He was too used to such things from me to bother with more than a token protest.

It was to this sight that All Might and Principal Nedzu returned to. Despite the seriousness of the ensuing conversation, they found themselves chuckling at the antics of two young kids. Our pale cheeks flushed, embarrassed about being caught acting like anything less than the mature, heroes-in-training that we portrayed ourselves to be. With a cough, I separated from my twin, nervousness returning.

"Todoroki-chan, All Might has told me of your unusual precognitive abilities. I am here to assess the truthfulness of your claims and then move forward with any information you can give us, provided that it proves to be reliable."

I could feel Shouto bristle at the implication that I was a possible liar and unreliable, but I just nodded.

"It's not an ability per se. I just have knowledge of future events up to a point and if anything happens to change that future, then 90% of my knowledge will be useless. It doesn't really come from anywhere, I've just always known things."

"Well, I'm already aware you have extensive knowledge concerning All Might that you couldn't possibly know otherwise. What else can you tell me?"

"I can't tell you anything personal about yourself if that's what you're asking. The only reason I know so much about All Might is that he and his successor are center stage for all the big events in the future."

"Ah, so is it safe to assume that you know a great deal of personal information about his successor as well?"

"Yes, and All Might, sir, I have some advice for him that could help him master One for All easier. I know he's having a hard time with it and if he keeps using his power recklessly, there's a chance he could damage his body irreparably."

All Might paled considerably. He was aware of the dangers of One for All but perhaps he'd believed Midoriya would learn to control before it got to that point.

"I don't mind letting him know about me if you wish to tell him. I think it could do him some good, having someone his age who he can share the burden of such a big secret. Another person I think would be a good idea to bring in is Aizawa-sensei. You need someone who will be 'out in the field' so to speak, who can act on my foreknowledge when you're not available. Other than that, it would be best to keep the circle small. The fewer people that know, the less danger there is of anything slipping."

The principal nodded, agreeing with his typical friendly demeanor. "Yes, yes, those are all excellent ideas, young miss, and ones we will take into consideration. Now, what can you tell us about the League of Villains? What are their goals? Who is their leader? Other prominent members?"

I let out a breath as I drew upon every bit of info I crammed last night about the League. "Their leader is the man called All for One."

"What?! That's not possible."

All Might launched to his feet. I smiled sadly at him knowing how devastated the news must make him.

"He survived, just like you did, sensei."

"Troubling news indeed, Toshinori, but we really must hear what else she has to say."

"Right, forgive my outburst."

All Might sat down again, calmer but no less upset about All for One's survival.

"He's taken in a protege, much like yourself, by the name of Shigaraki Tomura, although that's an alias. His true identity is another upsetting revelation for you, All Might-sensei, so I'll leave it till the end. His quirk is Decay and he can decay anything as long as all five of his fingers touch it. I'm unsure if the loss of a finger would nullify his quirk. Another notable member includes Kurogiri, the warp quirk villain. There are others, but as of now, they are yet to join the group, and although I could give you their villain names and quirks, they will only join after the hero-killer Stain is caught.

"Which reminds me, he'll be in Hosu city soon if he's not there already. One of his victims will be Ingenium. He'll live but the damage leaves him paralyzed, forcing his retirement. It will happen during the sports festival.

"The League won't make a move during the festival because of their drastically reduced numbers and the injuries Shigaraki sustained at the USJ. They won't appear again until the summer training camp. Because of this incident, it's suspected that there is a possible mole in the school, so in order to find the leak, the dorm system will be implemented. During camp, one of the students will be taken, and thanks to the ingenuity of another student, the League's hideout is discovered. This leads to a confrontation between yourself and All for One, which causes you to use up the last of One for All and your identity to be revealed to the public. You obviously retire from hero work to continue teaching and focus on training your protege. Shortly after that, the Provisional License Exams take place. Afterward, some serious trouble involving the yakuza, I believe it was, and human experimentation on a young girl happens, but unfortunately, I couldn't tell you anything useful about that other than that the girl's name is Eri and that her quirk allows her to...reset a person's body, I think?...to a previous state. The yakuza use her quirk to create some sort of drug that renders people quirkless, but I believe it can wear off eventually. Although, I might be mistaken about that."

Principal Nedzu and All Might share a hard look. The rise in and severity of villain activity to come no doubt worrying them immensely. Shouto squeezes my hand. Even he's concerned about the danger that we'll likely be dragged into.

"Yes, the boarding system sounds like something we would do. I've been contemplating such a thing for a while. An attack on our students would be just the push I'd need to see it through." He hummed thoughtfully. I imagine he was analyzing all the information and devising a course of action to take with his superior intelligence. "We need to call a meeting. We have much to discuss and plans of our own to begin implementing, but for now, I believe I'll get started on those dorm plans just to have them prepared, and you two, lunch is almost over. You should get some nourishment for yourselves. You'll be called when we meet to discuss our next move."

We nodded, and I relaxed now that the conversation was coming to a close. I actually made it through all that.

"Ah, Todoroki-shoujo, you mentioned I needed to know the true identity of Shigaraki Tomura. I'm not sure how it relates to me personally, but I trust you if you say it's important."

Spoke too soon. I winced, having forgotten about that detail. "Yes, that. Um, perhaps it would be a good idea to get in touch with Gran Torino. Not tell him everything, but this part is sort of related to him, too. He deserves to know and you should really talk to someone who would understand. Plus, you need someone to rein you in sometimes, sensei, no offense." I cut myself off when I realized I was stalling. "Right, uh, well, Shigaraki Tomura's real name is actually... Shimura Tenko, the grandson of Shimura Nana."

* * *

Idk what it is lately, but I'm more in a writing mood, which, good for you guys I guess lol. We're getting to the bigger canon divergence stuff now. Quick question, romance isn't a big plot point, but I would like to sprinkle a bit here and there like the series does. So is there anyone you guys would like to see Hien interacting with? Please note that just because she has a romantic scene with someone doesn't mean they're endgame. I want to leave that up in the air since, you know, they're all teenagers, and they're not exactly known for long-term commitment and true everlasting love. There might be a serious relationship later down the line, but not until after the provisional license exam and maybe the internship arc. It depends on where exactly season 3 ends. I've decided to use that as the cutoff point for most of Hien's knowledge. Anything after that is just vague spoilers she remembers. Like she knows about Eri and what her quirk does and that she was used to produce that quirk erasing drug, but nothing else useful.


	11. Clear by Eleven

My brother and I were distracted for the rest of the day. Even All Might seemed a bit out of it during our lesson with him, not that I blame him, after the bombshell I dropped on him earlier. I hope he took my advice about talking to his old mentor. That man took on too many burdens for himself. (If Shouto could hear what I was thinking, the look he'd give me would so be worth being called a hypocrite.) By the time school had ended and we were ushered into a conference room with Aizawa-sensei, the principal, and All Might (in his deflated form, surprisingly), I was a jittery mess again. Aizawa-sensei eyed us, me in particular, searching for something, a hint of deception perhaps? The principal offered us tea, which I accepted, hoping it would calm my nerves.

"Todoroki-chan, while we have informed a small group of trusted teachers of what you've told us, I thought it best if we kept your identity and how you came upon your knowledge a secret for your safety. They've been told that you're an informant with inside knowledge of the League of Villains. If what you said about there being a mole inside the school is true, then your identity must be kept an absolute secret, lest the villains come to target you."

I nodded, having absolutely no problems with that. If there was one thing I feared besides failing to change the future, it's dying. I've already experienced it once already. I wasn't about to go for a take two if I could help it. I had no way of knowing what would happen to me afterward if I did die. Was this my only second chance? Or would I be sent somewhere else to start all over again? I had no intentions of finding out the answers for a very long time if I could help it.

"Todoroki-kun, I trust that you understand the severity of the situation as well? I'm sure that your sister has shared a lot of what she knows with you, which is why you've been called in with her. You're just as much a target as she is, even if you don't know as much as her."

My stomach lurched and I suddenly regretted that tea. Why didn't I think of that? Dear God, I'm so stupid! Of course, the League would target him if they thought he knew even a fraction of what I knew. All because I couldn't buck up and handle it on my own. Nevermind that I would have had to tell somebody at some point or otherwise be regarded with suspicion from the teachers if I always happened to know when an attack would happen. And even then, would it matter if Shouto even knew anything or not? If Shigaraki or All for One knew about me, they'd have absolutely no qualms about using Shouto to get to me.

Just exposing myself exponentially increased the danger towards my twin. I never truly worried about him before. With his powerful quirk, Todoroki Shouto was a powerhouse acknowledged by nearly everyone. Even Bakugou saw my brother's strength. That's why he was so pissed about winning the sports festival. Shouto wouldn't have gone down nearly as easily as he did if he had been using his full strength if he didn't outright obliterate Bakugou. But he wasn't all powerful. Against the Hero Killer Stain, it took the combined efforts of Midoriya, Shouto, and Iida to take him down. If the League decided to actively go after him, what chance did he stand against them? Midoriya and the others couldn't prevent Bakugou from being abducted at the training camp. The villains could've easily killed him by the time the heroes tracked them down. If Shouto ended up in that position...

I was immensely grateful that the principal had the foresight to take simple precautions as limiting the number of those in the know to those in this room. My hand gripped my twin's and he squeezed back. Normally I could tell what he was thinking at just a glance, but right now, I couldn't begin to imagine what thoughts were whirling and his head. Did he regret me telling him? Did he wish we hadn't told anyone else and kept it to ourselves? No, if anything, my brother is a hero at heart. He'd want to use what I know to help others. Maybe not necessarily at risk to myself, but he was always willing to be a bit reckless if it meant helping someone (*cough cough* Stain *cough cough* Bakugou).

"Ah, Todoroki-shoujo, I know you said you wouldn't mind allowing Mi- my apprentice in on the secret, but I felt it prudent to ask permission to include him, given the circumstances." All Might looked awkward without his bulky mass. That is to say, he looked less loud and confident and more the typical, reserved Japanese man that he normally only was behind closed doors.

I bit my lip, suddenly unsure in the wake of my recent revelation. "I- no, sorry sir. It's not that I don't think he's a trustworthy person! He's got a good heart and I know he'll make you proud, but I don't want to take any risks. He's already told someone his own secret because he felt he had to, even if that person didn't believe him. I don't want to take the chance that he might decide that telling my secret is the right thing to do."

All Might's gaunt face watched me seriously, and I was unsure of how he felt about my decision so I hurriedly tacked on. "But I still think that a carrying a secret like that is too much for one person. I don't mind letting him know some of the facts. Like we could give him a similar story to the other teachers. Let him know that we know about him and you for reasons that you're not allowed to say. That way you don't have to lie to him."

Seeing the number one hero, powered down or not, sag in relief like I'd done him a favor was quite endearing, and my mind couldn't help jumping to the phrase Dad Might.

"Thank you, Todoroki-shoujo. I appreciate that you would allow me this leeway. I understand that it must be difficult divulging your deepest secrets to so many people."

I smiled softly at him, my doubts about telling others slightly lessened in that moment.

"Aizawa-kun, do you have anything to add?"

Aizawa-sensei, who I just noticed hadn't taken his eyes off me the entire time, blinked slowly as if coming out of his thoughts.

"You knew about the USJ."

It wasn't a question. I could feel the judgment in those words and I winced. My voice came out meeker than I wanted it to and my brother gave my hand another squeeze.

"Yes, sir."

"You handled it poorly. You're lucky Thirteen and I were the only ones who got seriously injured. If any student had gotten hurt because you withheld important information, I would've had you expelled."

I cringed and Shouto tensed at the harsh criticism. This was what I'd been expecting when I'd first told Shouto, but had been pleasantly surprised to be so easily accepted. It made sense, I guess. I was Shouto's twin. I'd been with him for longer than he can remember and he only knew me as his precious sister. Short of committing murder and becoming a villain, there wasn't anything I could do to make my brother think badly of me. Aizawa-sensei, on the other hand... Even though I expected someone to criticize me at _some_ point, I couldn't help the tears that stung my eyes.

"Aizawa-kun! She's just a kid!"

"No, sir. It's alright. I understand. As a hero-in-training, I have to be held to a higher standard than others my age." Standing from my seat, I bow deeply toward the underground hero. "I'm sorry, sensei! I promise to do better from now on!"

I didn't stand back up, keeping my eyes firmly rooted on the ground until I heard a scoff from the erasure hero. "See that you do. I expect the best from my students."

I looked him directly in the eye, nodding determinedly. I wouldn't disappoint him a second time.

* * *

My shortest chapter yet, but I felt here was a good stopping place. Thanks for all the support you guys have given me so far! It still baffles me how highly some of you think of this train wreck lol. Ngl this started out as a purely self-indulgent fic so I could live out my every bnha fantasy vicariously. I never expected people to actually start liking it. So yeah, thanks for the validation. Also, I'm running out of clever titles to use so I might drop that eventually.


	12. Half a Dozen of the Other

I collapsed on my bed with a groan, ignoring Shouto who took a seat at my desk. Today was draining. I didn't have the energy to do anything else but sleep. Unfortunately, my twin knew me too well. He picked up an eraser (a cute Fatgum themed one because I loved him) and threw it at my head.

"It's Midoriya, right? All Might's protege, I mean."

I hummed in confirmation, not surprised he figured it out at all. Hoping that was all that he wanted to know, I buried my head in my pillow, just about to drift off.

"I can see where he gets it from now. They really aren't so much different after all. As expected of the number one hero's son."

My tiredness evaporated as my eyes shot open, laughter bubbling up in my throat. "Shouto, _no_. Midoriya is not All Might's son. His dad's name is Midoriya Hisashi and he's got a firebreathing quirk. I don't know anything else about him, but I can assure you, he's not All Might."

Shouto eyes me suspiciously, his confused frown on his face. "...Are you sure?"

"Yes, Sho. I know with absolute certainty that Midoriya isn't All Might's secret love child." I couldn't keep the mirth from my eyes and voice, and Shouto flushed knowing that I knew that was the exact phrase he was thinking of. He hurried to defend his theory.

"It made sense in my head! Similar quirks, the way he seems to pay extra attention to him. Can you blame me for making that connection?"

"No, not really. It's true most people wouldn't think of a quirk that can be passed on without a parent and child relationship, but you gotta admit your theory is hilarious. They don't even look alike!"

He mutters something about not being so sure about that, probably thinking about All Might in his deflated form. Thinking about it made me think back to that meeting earlier, and my good humor plummetted. I wanted to talk to Shouto about it, but really, what could I say? An apology seemed paltry, and my twin wouldn't accept it anyway. I couldn't tell him to save himself if it came down to it because he wouldn't accept that either. If anything, that would only make him more determined to throw himself into the flames for me. With a sigh, I turned away, not even needing to feign tiredness and buried myself under a cocoon of blankets. Shouto huffed, patting what he probably assumed to be my head, and shuffled out my room.

* * *

The next day, we were approached by Midoriya nervously outside the cantine. All Might must have spoken with him yesterday after the meeting. The poor boy seemed like he wanted to ask a million questions. As cute as I usually found his ramblings, I rather hoped he didn't.

"Todoroki-san-!"

"There's two Todoroki's. Call us Hien and Shouto."

My brother glanced at me questioningly but didn't contradict me. I always preferred the western way of addressing people, so I often used the excuse of convenience to make people call me by name. By default, that left my brother as Todoroki. Some people were still too polite and just differentiated us by -chan and -kun, but either way, Shouto was never called Shouto, except by Momo, our closest (currently only) friend.

Midoriya flushed horribly pink. It made his freckles stand out even more. I remembered he had trouble calling Tsuyu by her preferred name at first. Even Uraraka, his closest female friend, was still Uraraka and not Ochako. Eh, he'll get used to it eventually.

"H-H-Hi-Hien-san!"

I couldn't help it. "Yes, Izuku?"

His face practically exploded with steam. stopped working. Shouto rolled his eyes, well used to my teasing antics. The green haired boy couldn't seem to string together a complete sentence anymore, so my twin took pity on him.

"Did All Might tell you we know your secret?"

That sobered him up quickly, and he looked at us with his wobbly but determined expression. "Yes, although he wouldn't tell me how you found out, he said you were trustworthy and that it was safe to talk to you about things."

We nodded, both serious now. I really hoped he didn't ask us how we knew, but even if he did, he would probably be understanding about us not being able to tell him as long as All Might himself knew the reason.

"To be honest, it's a relief to have people I don't have to hide or watch my words around."

I smiled sympathetically. For all that my anxiety about my twin's safety skyrocketed, it really was a relief not carrying a heavy burden like that alone anymore. I hadn't made any strides getting to know him personally, only really interacting once in the couple of weeks we've been at school. It hadn't felt necessary, but well, friends don't _have_ to be necessary.

"Hey, Izuku. Want to train with us after school? We could help you with your quirk."

Both boys glanced at me surprised, Midoriya pink-cheeked again. He looked adorable. I almost didn't want him to get used to us being on a first name basis if he kept reacting like that. Shouto, after getting over his initial surprise, looked at Midoriya consideringly, before nodding.

"Our house has a private dojo and our courtyard is big enough for training our quirks. Plus, having a sparring partner other than Hien will be helpful."

He looked between us with wide eyes. It was probably the first time a classmate had invited him to hang out outside of school hours. He seemed to warm up to the idea and began muttering away under his breath, something about having better notes. If he had his notebook, I'm sure he'd be scribbling away in it. My eyes crinkled in amusement as I fought off a large smile. Yep, we're keeping him.

"Deku-kun!"

"Midoriya-kun!"

Iida and Uraraka were waving at him as they came toward us. They must have come looking for him. They saw Shouto and me with him and gave each other confused looks, questioning what reason we could have for interacting.

"Hello, Todoroki-kun and Todoroki-chan."

"Hello."

"It's Hien." I reflexively responded. "Oh, I meant hi."

My twin snorted and Uraraka's eyes widened. No one in the class had ever seen past his stoic facade and seen his sense of humor, except for Momo. It'll be awesome to expose him for the huge dork he really is.

"Will you both be joining us for lunch, Todoroki-kun and Hien-kun?" Iida, our ever helpful class VP, offered politely.

My eyes practically glittered with excitement and before my brother could decline in favor of our corner of solitude, I eagerly agreed for the both of us. The stink eye he gave me was more than worth it. Power of friendship, here we come!

* * *

By the end of our lunch hour, I was on a first name basis with the whole Dekusquad, and Ochako and I made plans to hang out sometime after the sports festival. I'd even suggested we bring Momo and maybe the other girls and make it a girls' day out. As much as I loved my brother, I did miss having girl friends to talk to and do things with.

Izuku accompanied us on our way home and I even got to look through his infamous notebook. It was actually very well done. I was particularly impressed with the page he had on me. It wasn't as detailed as some of the older pages since he hadn't known me all that long, but what he had was pretty good considering he learned it all through observation. Noticing something in particular, I grinned wickedly and gave him a sly look.

"This drawing is really good, Izuku. You had to have spent quite some time watching me in my hero costume to get my proportions so exact."

As predicted, he exploded again, stammering excuses and apologies and I couldn't help laughing. I had to bury my face into Shouto's shoulder before the other passengers gave us dirty looks for causing a scene. The poor boy looked ready to pass out by the time we made it home, so I thought I'd cut back on the teasing for now.

We led the frazzled boy through the estate to our training room after lending him some of Shouto's smaller casual clothes. The shirt fit him fine, but the pants had to be rolled up at the ankles. I politely didn't laugh, despite the immense pleasure I took in being taller than him. I'd been stuck at an underwhelming height of 5'2" in my previous life so I couldn't help but inwardly cackle when I towered over even boys sometimes.

"Okay, so tell us about the mechanics of your quirk. Why exactly do your limbs explode when you use your power?"

I knew the answer, of course, but I had to lead him to the correct answer. He wouldn't be able to grow as a hero if I just told him everything. I didn't think he would appreciate it, either. He already felt like all his accomplishments were someone else's efforts. He didn't need me to hold his hand, no matter how much it might be a quick solution to his problem. Besides, I had no doubts he'd learn to get the hang of it quickly. It only took him the week or two of his internship with Gran Torino to start regulating his power. I could just imagine how much better off he'd be with two extra weeks of practice.

"Well, I have trouble controlling the power output. Right now, it's either 0 or 100, and my body can't handle 100%."

He looked at his hand, frowning worriedly. I looked at my brother to see if he had any input to give before I started giving Izuku the needed puzzle pieces.

"Why hasn't All Might helped you with this? Isn't it his power too?"

An almost literal raincloud bloomed over the green bean's head. "He's not very good at teaching."

Shouto and I nodded simultaneously. "Yeah, we noticed that, actually."

I put on a thinking face and walked up to Izuku and leaned in close to his, examining his freckles. I couldn't just pull the microwave metaphor out of my ass, so I used what he knew I would know. "Well, I noticed that you only take damage after you discharge your strength. You've only had your quirk for a short while so your body isn't used to it, unlike everyone else who had their adjustment period at least ten years ago. I'm guessing, given the consequences of using your quirk, you've only used it sparingly, but by doing that, your body isn't adjusting. Why don't you just try holding your power, not using it, just taking time to feel it in your body?"

His nervousness at my proximity vanished as he heard my "logical" solution. Gasping, he muttered to himself, I couldn't catch what he said, speaking too fast and low for me to make out. Suddenly, he nodded decisively and took a stance to brace himself as I stepped back to let him do his thing. His body started glowing with and arcs of electricity sparking off him.

"It's so hard to move."

"Good, that means you're moving a step in the right direction."

"Right!" He gave me a determined grin, fierce glint in his eyes. Just then, I could see why he'd someday become the world's greatest hero.

* * *

Ahh, I'm so glad I got this out. I almost took a break because of some personal drama that happened. If I'd stopped, I don't know when I would've gotten around to updating again. Luckily, some friends inspired me, and I remembered I wrote this fic for my own happiness and enjoyment, and that I shouldn't let anyone take that from me.


	13. Unlucky Thirteen

That first week was entirely spent helping Izuku acclimatize to One for All. Shouto came up with the idea of having him hold it as long as possible while trying to do normal everyday activities and workouts. Needless to say, a lot of things were broken in those first few days. It's a good thing theTodoroki's had more than enough money to replace all the equipment he accidentally damaged. Izuku was horribly apologetic whenever an accident occurred. He offered to pay us back, but we waved it off, mentioning he wouldn't even be able to pay back the replacement of _one_ machine, let alone all of them anyway. Cue his freak out over breaking multiple several hundred-thousand yen exercise equipment.

The boys started up a friendly rivalry once Izuku was finally accustomed to his strength enough. Shouto was particularly excited to start sparring the second week. It had the added benefit of giving Izuku a subconscious limiter when using his power against a living person and thus granting him further control over One for All. I gave him a bit of instruction in hand-to-hand, subtly pushing him toward styles like kick-boxing, taekwondo, and other kick-based martial arts. He hasn't picked up on the hints I'm dropping yet. I did suggest he make some changes to his costume design, which he reluctantly agreed to when I mentioned giving his limbs support just in case he ended up breaking bones again. Hopefully, the design was submitted early enough for it to be ready in time for the internships.

At school, Shouto and I were fully integrated into the Dekusquad, and I finally got Izuku to fix his fucking tie. I'd always wondered why Tenya (unlike with Izuku, I actually asked to call him this), the biggest hardass on following the rules, would allow Izuku to continue wearing his tie like that. I also felt increasingly guilty spending time with Tenya. I could only hope my early warning was enough to prevent his brother's fate. The days passed by in a blink of an eye and soon the big day came. I had done some thinking over the last couple of weeks and I'd decided I wanted to stand on my own feet. My twin and I were oft regarded as a package deal. You couldn't get one without the other. We were always together, and I think it's become a bit of a crutch for us. We've never had to face any obstacle without the other at our side to help us. I wanted to stand out as Hien, future pro-hero, not the female half of the Todoroki twins. Shouto was conflicted when I spoke to him about it the day before the festival but ultimately agreed that we should make ourselves known as individuals and not as a matched set.

I made a concerted effort to sit next to Ochako, leaving Momo in my usual spot beside my brother. I was more anxious than usual without him at my side, so I kept fiddling with my hair. I'd forgone my usual braid in favor of a basic low ponytail, which was probably a mistake. Just as I'd let it down to make a tight braid, Tenya burst through the door, warning us that we'd be starting soon. To my surprise, Shouto stood up and called Izuku out with a declaration of war. Izuku, to his credit, wasn't put off and instead answered confidently in a way that made a surge of pride bloom in my chest. These last couple of weeks training together really did wonders for the boy's confidence. Eijirou tried to mediate, taking their words as aggressive instead of the friendly rivalry I saw it as. That wasn't to say neither was serious about beating the other. They both aimed to come out on top, but they were also friends now.

Not wanting to be left out, I stood up and made my way between them. "Aren't you boys forgetting someone? I'm aiming for the top, too, and I won't let either of you stand in my way. I'll crush you both."

"Now Hien-chan's making a declaration of war?!"

"Nee-san..."

"Otouto." I sashayed back to my seat, taking advantage of my currently loose hair to smack him in the face with it when I dramatically turned away. My serious expression almost cracked when I heard him sputtering, some of my hair catching on his mouth. Good luck being taken seriously by our classmates now, Shouto.

* * *

We were herded through a long tunnel into the arena, and wow, it still amazes me how big U.A. grounds are. Present Mic was commentating the events today. Logical given his side job as a radio personality. He really knew how to amp up the crowd. His over-the-top introduction was almost missed over the cheering of the audience. There were so many people! I was glad the stadium was so big that I couldn't see their individual faces unless I was close to the wall of the arena. At least I wouldn't have to give a speech. Speaking of which, all the first years crowded in front of a platform where the R-rated hero, Midnight stood. She was refereeing the games.

"Is it okay for her to be at a high school if she's R-rated?"

I heard Tokoyami ask from nearby and I couldn't help but wonder the same thing. The men in the crowd seemed particularly excited as well. Gee, I wonder why? Midnight called everyone to attention.

"Representing class 1-A, Bakugou Katsuki!"

I winced, knowing even without my future knowledge that this would end badly. He stepped onto the stage, and it was quiet as he began speaking into the microphone. Cringing, I braced for the backlash of his brash words.

"I pledge...that I'll be number one."

Immediately the other classes began booing and jeering, 1-A's reputation plummeting even further thanks to that stunt. Bakugou paid it no mind, just reiterating that he'd step on everyone else on the way to the top. Midnight took over, announcing the first game selection for the preliminary round. I only vaguely remembered what was supposed to happen. I wanted to use this as I chance to measure my actual skills. Applying my foreknowledge would be counterproductive.

"This year, it's an obstacle course race! All eleven classes will participate. The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium- about four kilometers. Our school's selling point is freedom! As long as you stay on the course, anything is allowed. Now take your places!"

My heartbeat skyrocketed in anticipation as we waited for the countdown to end in front of the gate.

"Start!"

I shot off, using my agility and flexibility to weave through the crowd, not letting myself get trapped between people. I managed to be one of the of the fortunate frontrunners inside the tunnel and as soon as I was clear, I activated my quirk, going airborne just in time for Shouto to freeze the whole tunnel and most of the competition inside it. I wasn't the only one who managed to escape, but I was the fastest. I quickly caught up with Shouto, giving him a shit-eating grin as I flew overhead. I could hear Bakugou screaming behind us, something about not letting those half and half twins beat him, and that icyhot woman stealing his moves. I snorted and pushed on ahead, only to be stopped by the first obstacle. Large building-sized robots stood in our path. I had to swerve in my flight-path to avoid them. On the ground, my twin impressively froze all the giant robots at once.

"Show-off," I grumbled underneath my breath as I landed on the ground, using my momentum to keep running. "Hmm, I can't hold such high speeds for more than a minute, it seems. I'll have to work on that."

At the giant chasm (when? how?) about halfway around the stadium, it was a piece of cake to just fly over most of it, though I had to be careful to land on a platform before I ran out of juice. I spared a moment to glance at my brother who had fallen behind due to him being stuck on the ground. Not wanting to lose my lead, I charged on, my legs and lungs starting to burn from all the running.

The next and final obstacle was a minefield. I cursed my flight limit. I wasn't confident I'd be able to make the whole thing in one go and I didn't want to risk landing on a mine since I didn't know how bad the ensuing explosion would be. With gritted teeth, I painstakingly made my way through the field, much slower than I would've liked. I could hear people fast approaching, but I ignored them in favor of moving as quickly as possible. Close behind me, I could hear Bakugou duking it out with my brother. Not wanting to head to head with the explosive boy, I threw caution to the wind and let loose an explosion of hot and cold fire, becoming airborne once more. I didn't look back and risk losing my precious few foot lead, but I think I caught Bakugou in my frozen flames if his enraged scream was anything to go by. Just as I felt an immense chill at my back- my twin's retaliation- a large explosion came from behind us. I couldn't risk looking back mid-flight, so I was entirely blindsided when Izuku crashed into me. I hit the ground hard, only for a landmine to go off underneath me and send us flying again. Izuku shouted apologies at me as he shot ahead with a boost of One for All, recovering much faster than I did. Frustrated and in pain, I let out a scream and exploded in flames again, pushing my quirk to its absolute limit. Twenty meters. Fifteen meters. Ten meters. Seven meters. Five meters. Two meters. Just a bit more. I burst through the exit like a firework, in a flash of brilliant flames that quickly sputtered out as I fell onto the grass, chest heaving and muscles shaking with leftover adrenaline.

I felt a slight ache in my body, particularly around my arms for overusing my quirk. We had some time before the rest of the runners arrived, so I didn't have any intentions of getting up any time soon. My pounding pulse drowned out the roaring of the crowd, as I stared up and saw nothing but sky. I didn't even know how I did, it was so close at the end there. My momentary respite was ended by a shadow blocking the sky overhead. Shouto was standing above me looking frustrated and concerned in equal measure. I lazily reached up for the hand he offered me, and I allowed him to haul me onto my feet. The sudden change from horizontal to upright made me lightheaded for a second. The pulsing in my ears had subsided and I could hear the entire stadium cheering. I turned away to get some water. Sliding down against the wall of the arena, I sat on the grass intending to recover as much as possible before the next event. I closed my eyes, hoping to block everything out and just sit while sipping my water. When the last of the stragglers arrived, Midnight had us gather around the stage again and I steeled myself to look at the scoreboard.

Todoroki Hien, second place.

* * *

I hope I did a good job on this one. One of my biggest fears is that everything goes too perfectly for Hien. It's hard when she both knows the future _and_ has a pretty OP quirk. Trying to put limits on her power is difficult when her brother is capable of creating literal icebergs large enough to cover a stadium, not that she can do that, but she could probably create huge firey tornadoes or something like that.


	14. Fourteen

I sucked in a quiet breath. My eyes stung with tears of frustration, but I blinked them away quickly and hid them behind a frown. There at the end, I was just about to overtake Izuku when he made it through at the last second. I honestly don't know what hurt more, the fact that I lost, or that I was literally close enough to touch him, but still wasn't fast enough. I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to relax. It's only the first game. No need to get so upset just yet. The battle may be over, but the war's just begun.

"The top 42 made it to the next round. It's unfortunate, but don't worry even if you didn't make it. We've prepared other chances for you to shine. The real competition begins next! Everyone will be watching, so give it your all! The next game will be...a cavalry battle!"

Oh, I think I remembered something about this. We're all fighting over points and everyone would be gunning for Izuku because he was worth the most. Hmm, maybe it was a good thing I came in second and not first place, after all. But who would I team up with?

"Let me explain the rules. The participants can form teams of two to four people as they wish. It's basically the same as a regular cavalry battle, but there's one difference. Based on the results of the last game, each person had been assigned a point value."

Midnight stopped her speech to yell at some of my classmates about talking while she's still explaining, and my lips twitched up in a small smile, feeling a little better at the humorous interruption.

"The points assigned go up by five starting from the bottom. In other words, last place is worth five points, 41st place is worth ten, and so on and so forth. However, the point value assigned to first place is..." She paused for dramatic effect. "Ten million!"

I could practically feel Izuku die a little from hearing that. The level of killing intent increased drastically around us. My previous smile became a mischievous grin. It didn't matter what place you came in, as long as you steal those ten million, you win.

"This a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top! Those at the top will suffer more. This is what it means to be _Plus Ultra!_ " Midnight waved her flogging whip...riding crop...thing- I don't know, I'm not a BDSM expert!- dramatically, before calmly moving onto the actual rules.

"The time limit is fifteen minutes. Each team is worth the total of its team members' points, and each rider will wear a headband with that number on their foreheads. Teams will try to grab each other's headbands until time runs out and try to keep as many points as they can. Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up. So the more you steal, the harder it will be to manage them."

Again, the lower ranking competitors will have an advantage. Better to have a few larger point headbands than too many small ones. This would make it less likely that teams will go after lower point headbands.

"The most important things is that even if your headband gets stolen, or if your team falls, you're not out. During the game, you can use your quirks, but it is still a cavalry battle. You'll get a red card for attacks that are trying to knock people down on purpose, and you'll be removed immediately! Now you have fifteen minutes to build your teams. Start!"

Everyone scrambled to find teammates among their classmates since those were the people whose quirks they'd be most familiar with. I panicked a little, not knowing who I should approach. As the person who placed second, my point value would be the highest after Izuku's, meaning that I was both a huge target and a desirable teammate. I would probably be the rider since my quirk worked best with the use of my hands. My first choice for a teammate would be Momo, her all-rounder quirk would be perfect for this. Someone who could help with speed next, and also someone to defend, while I attacked. Tenya and Ochako would probably choose Izuku first, so they were out. Of course, Shouto and Bakugou were out of the running as well. Nodding to myself, I yelled out for Momo. She turned with a smile that I returned, only for it to quickly fall off my face. It seems that my twin had the same idea as I saw him standing next to her. She gave me an apologetic shrug and I frowned, feeling slightly betrayed. With a huff, I turned away, looking for my next choice.

"Hien-chan! Please pick me!"

While I was busy reworking my plan now that Momo was unavailable, I was surrounded by classmates who wanted to team up with the second place student. Nearby, Bakugou was similarly surrounded by prospective teammates.

Okay, think. Quirk compatibility. Who had a quirk that would give me the best advantage in the cavalry battle? I had enough power on my own. What I needed was speed, defense, maneuverability, and range. If this was another one-on-one event, I'd have those things covered with my flying capabilities and the sheer strength of my quirk, but in a team event, I couldn't just let loose a barrage of flames without risking my teammates.

Kirishima could handle a blast from my quirk with his Hardening. Iida would be perfect for speed, coupled with Ochako's Zero Gravity, but I'm sure Izuku would've snatched them up first. Denki, Tokoyami, Tsuyu, Aoyama, and Sero all had ranged abilities, but with compatibility to consider, Tokoyami's Dark Shadow and Tsuyu's Frog physiology were bad matchups for my Cold Burn. Denki's Electricity was out for the same reason I couldn't use my quirk freely, and Aoyama's Navel Laser was very limited, especially after his constant use of it during the obstacle race. Ojiro and Shouji both had strength going for them, but Ojiro, like me, would be held back by being stuck in a group. So not only did I have to consider _my_ compatibility with them, but theirs with each other. Damn, my choices are a lot more limited than I first thought. Ugh, if only I hadn't decided to establish my independence from my twin. Is it still too late to team up with Shouto? At least the two of us had a decade of experience working with and around each other. Maybe I was overcomplicating things. With a frustrated sigh, I went ahead with the 12% of a plan formed in my mind.

"Shouji-kun, how many people can you carry easily?"

The tall boy seemed surprised but answered with one of his extra mouths. "Two small people or one large person, if I want to be able to still move around quickly."

"So someone of my size would be easy, right?"

He nodded and I grinned, taking one of his spare hands between both of my own. I had to crane my neck up to look at him this close, something I hadn't had to do since my last growth spurt, and although his face was covered, if the way his eyes widened was any indication, I think he was embarrassed by my forwardness.

"Good, then it's you and me against the world!"

"Hien and Shouji? What about other team members?"

"Does she mean just them? Shouji, you lucky bastard!"

"Aw, no fair! I want to be on Hien-chan's team."

Everyone seemed put out that I only chose one person, the boys, in particular, were upset and seemed to turn Shouji into public enemy no. 1. Whoops. Oh, well. They all scattered to either join the other top 3 players or form their own teams. Meanwhile, I explained to Shouji that I had difficulty working around others with my quirk, but I still needed someone to watch my back. Shouji would keep a lookout and warn me of encroaching opponents while I took care of attacking and defending. With only one person to look out for, I didn't have to be as careful with my quirk. Sometimes less was more.

The fifteen minutes flew by while we were hashing out our strategy, and soon we were in our positions ready to kick ass. I redid my hair so that the long dangly bits of the headband wasn't so easy to grab from behind. I normally kept my braid tight for physical activities, but just this once I wore it in the loose messy braid that I typically favored. The crowd fell into an excited roar as we waited for the signal to go.

"3...2...1..."

"Start!"

Wasting no time, everyone charged straight for team Midoriya, which surprisingly consisted of Ochako, Tokoyami, and some support class girl, I'm guessing from all the gear. Tenya ended up joining my brother's team, which I only remembered after the fact. Izuku's team attempted to run, but someone's quirk had them sinking into the ground. With help of their support items, they were able to get away and become airborne. I imagine they were able to pull it off due to a strategic usage of Zero Gravity.

While everyone who was in pursuit of them looked up to track their trajectory, I started with the first part of the plan. Which was to take down as many teams as possible. With them out of the way, it would be easier to go after our main target. Plus, I could steal their points while we were at it. I wanted the ten million points, but with everyone gunning for it, I wasn't going to be arrogant enough to assume I'd win. And on the off chance that someone managed to take my headband, our team would still have points. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Across the field, I saw Bakugou falling from the sky, and Midnight commenting that it was allowed so long as he doesn't touch the ground. I gave a feral grin, knowing now that I had a greater range of mobility with my flight abilities. As long as I'm in the air it's fine.

"Shouji, change of plans! I need you to toss me! I can move a lot more freely in the air, and there's less chance of being attacked by the other teams. I can attack much better without having to defend from all sides. I can stay in the air for about five minutes before I need to come down, one minute if I'm going top speed, so be ready to catch me then."

Shouji threw me into the air with his multiple arms, and I gained enough distance to activate my quirk without accidentally catching my teammate in the crossfire. I blasted forward straight toward Izuku but had to jerk to a hard stop when Denki discharged a bolt of electricity at all the teams behind them. Huh, so that's what he wanted Momo for. Now that the other teams were paralyzed, Shouto quickly and efficiently froze them all in place. Taking advantage of their incapacitated states, I swooped in from above and snatched a handful of headbands from the class B teams. Well, all's fair in love and war.

I slipped my original one around my neck as well. I wore all of them backward around my neck so that the numbers couldn't be easily seen and tucked the loose ends into my shirt for extra safety. Well, the rules only said we had to wear them from the neck up. Midnight never said _how_ we had to wear them.

My teammate had caught up with me and I took the opportunity to land before my time limit ran out. We charged ahead after my brother and I warned him about Denki's electrical attacks. I told him it was best to keep in their blind spots while they were focused on Izuku. Shouto quickly formed a wall of ice, trying to box them in and keep everyone else out, but a barrage of my own flames let us through before I patched up the hole I made. We had to avoid a burst of electricity as our entrance was not unnoticed. We were caught in a three-way Mexican standoff. Izuku, with light usage of One for All and Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, was able to keep both my twin and me at bay. With only about five minutes left, I decided to take a risk.

"Shouji-kun, I'm going into the air again. I need you to keep Tokoyami's attention while I take on Izuku."

"Hien-san, are you sure?"

"Yes, we're running out of time and this stalemate isn't getting us anywhere. We have to do _something_."

"You're right, but how are we going to handle your brother's and Kaminari's quirks?"

Before I could even come up with a suitable plan, Shouto's team shot forward at a speed I wasn't expecting and stole the ten million points. I cursed, knowing that stealing the points from my twin would be much harder than Izuku. Okay, Tenya used his special move. If I could manage to get Denki to use up his quirk, that would put half of team Shouto out of commision.

"Alright Shouji, we're still moving forward with the plan. Close your eyes when I get near them."

With a firm nod of understanding, he tossed me up, and I shot forward. Shouto and Denki launched their attacks at me, but I hadn't spent these last few weeks learning to fly for nothing. My agility in the air far exceeded what they were able to do on the ground. I lit up with a burst of heatless flames, the brightest I could manage, to blind them temporarily. I attempted to flash freeze their feet like Shouto did earlier. It would have been easy now with Iida's Engine out of the picture, but my brother knew me too well and countered with a careful application of fire. I both inwardly cursed and crowed with pride that he wasn't holding himself back just because of that human flaming garbage can that calls himself on fire. Shouto would always prefer using his ice, but he would resort to fire if he absolutely needed to. Like against his equally strong twin. Knowing I was running out of time, I borrowed a move from Bakugou and propelled myself over and around my twin on Momo's side where Denki couldn't zap me, snatching the middle headband around his neck as I went. I didn't have time to check which I'd grabbed with my flight limit creeping up on me, so with one final burst of flames, launched myself toward my teammate who stopped my collision course with the ground and saved me from impending doom.

"I gotcha!"

I settled back into proper place, checking the headband which was, to my massive disappointment, _not_ ten million. With only a couple minutes left on the clock, I'd have to try again right away, but my arms were already wearing out from the constant use of my quirk. I wasn't sure if I even _had_ enough juice left for another attempt.

Izuku must have noticed that I hadn't gotten the ten million because team Midoriya charged straight at my brother's team. Shouto tried to defend with fire, but it was blown away by Izuku creating wind with a One for All enhanced arm.

"Shouji, one more time, while they're both distracted!"

I flew into the air once more as Izuku stole one of the headbands from Shouto. I swore loudly, wondering why he didn't take both of them because now I couldn't tell who had the ten million and I had to go back and land to conserve energy. Apparently, my brother had Lady Luck on his side because even after _two_ successful point steals, he still managed to hold on to the ten million. My brother's teammates boasted about knowing us too well and knowing which ones we'd go for and I growled in frustration. My arms were shaking from overexertion, so I opted to have Shouji charge right in for a last-ditch effort. Izuku's team had the same idea and attempted to attack with Dark Shadow, but were thwarted by Denki's biggest electrical burst. With the insulation blanket protecting them from the shock blocking their view of me and Shouji, I launched a volley of cold fire at the ground, freezing all four of them thoroughly to ground. As all this was happening, Bakugou exploded through the ice wall (at the weak point I'd made getting in), ready to fight everyone. All three teams were bearing down on Shouto in what would have been a spectacular clash when-

"Time's up!"

Shouji skidded to a stop and I almost fell forward if he hadn't been holding on to me. Desperately, I looked up at the scoreboard. Did we make enough points? Shouto made first with the ten million. Bakugou took second place by a hairsbreadth. Third place was...us! Oh my god. I sagged in relief and disappointment on Shouji's back. I buried my face into his shoulder and quietly screamed, much to his embarrassment. I couldn't even enjoy flustering the poor boy. Speaking of embarrassing, Izuku was a literal fountain of tears over getting fourth place, just barely beating team Shinsou, who sounded familiar, but I couldn't be bothered to remember why just now.

"Ah, Hien-san."

With a sigh, I slid down Shouji's back, almost slipping off because my weak arms couldn't hold me up anymore. He awkwardly patted my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me.

"We made it to the next round. We may not have won this round, but that just means we have to fight that much harder next time."

That was the most I heard him speak at one time. He was right of course, but that didn't stop me from dwelling on my failures. It was lucky that we were about to break for lunch because if I had to go into the next round like this, I'd probably accidentally sabotage myself by getting reckless, not to mention that my quirk needed to cool down for a bit or risk badly over-straining my body.

"Yeah, you're right. It's just so frustrating being so close but still falling short, you know?"

He nodded, patting me once more before sending me off to my twin. Shouto looked up at my approach and I gave him a wry smile. Just because I felt upset at losing doesn't mean I wouldn't support my brother. I wasn't that kind of person.

"Congrats on the win, Sho."

"Thanks. You and Midoriya almost got me there."

I hummed, not feeling all that comforted, but appreciating the effort nonetheless.

"You overused your quirk again. Do you need to see Recovery Girl?"

I looked down at my shaky hands, frowning. Yet another thing I had to work on. Maybe I should ask Aizawa-sensei for ideas on how to help train my quirk. The summer training camp is two months away, I didn't want to wait that long if I could get better _now_. Maybe then I'd be good enough. Shoving all my negative feelings in a box to be looked at possibly never again if I could help it, I gave him my best reassuring smile and clenched my fists at my sides to lessen the shakes.

"I just need a little rest and recharge. I'll feel better after lunch."

He didn't look like he quite believed me, but let it go, for now, understanding that I wouldn't want to go into it in such a public place. Instead, he took my hands in his, massaging them and alternating between hot and cold to soothe my aches.

"Such a thoughtful little brother." I teased, getting back into my usual mood.

He gave me a dry look. "I could always stop."

"You're no fun."

* * *

Another long one. Ugh, this chapter really killed me. First I tried calculating points but gave up on that entirely. But then I also had to figure out strategy and team formations and ughhhhh. I hated it so much. I just wanted it out of the way :( but now I can move onto better things :D I'm taking suggestions for matchups in the next round btw. Is there any fight you guys would like to see? Also I have no more titles lol so I won't use them anymore.


	15. Fifteen

After a filling lunch and a quick nap under the shade of a tree, I felt well rested and in better spirits than before. The one-on-one tournament would really give me a chance to shine. Back in the field, all of us gathered in front of the board that would announce the matchups. Since the top 4 teams didn't make a full 16 bracket roster, the 5th place team, Team Shinsou, would be allowed to choose two members to advance. Shinsou Hitoshi, who I now remembered had the brainwash quirk, and Aoyama were chosen- well, more like the other two elected not fight. I didn't really get why Ojiro didn't want to compete in the tournament, but I understood it was a pride sort of thing.

I only remembered the big fights, which were later matches, and Izuku's first match against Shinsou, so I had no real point of reference for how drastically different the matchups turned out, only that there were obvious changes. For one, class 1-A ended up dominating the cavalry battle and scoring most of the spots in the tournament. Secondly, the first match was Shinsou vs Aoyama, not Izuku. Instead, he was up against Ochako in the second match. Ouch, talk about bad luck. I myself was matched against Denki near the end of the round. Plenty of time to come up with a suitable strategy.

My brother and I moved ahead with the rest of our classmates to the stands in our reserved seating. I forced him to sit next to Eijirou as one of the friendliest in class in the hopes that he'd get around my twin's shell the way he did with Bakugou. I took the seat on his other side, putting me on the aisle in front of the explosive boy himself. Izuku, Ochako, and Aoyama were absent, all of them waiting for their matches to start. I was certain the first fight would be a short one, not in my classmate's favor. His quirk was cool, but not very versatile, and it would only take one slip up to fall under Shinsou's control.

"The first match of the first round of the tournament. From the hero course, the man who sparkles brightly and not much else, Aoyama Yuuga! And from the general studies course, Shinsou Hitoshi! Sorry, he hasn't done much to stand out yet. The rules are simple. Force your opponent out of bounds or immobilize them. You can also win by making your opponent forfeit!" Present Mic announced from the commentator's box, "Ready? Start!"

We couldn't hear what was being said between the two fighters, but it was obvious when Aoyama got caught. Like I suspected, it was a short match. As soon as he made the mistake of responding, Shinsou had Aoyama turn around and walk out of bounds. The match lasted less than a minute. Ouch, poor twinkling boy. Well, he made it this far, and there's always next year.

"That's a pretty OP quirk, but now that he's shown it off, he's at a distinct disadvantage. Especially with him going up against Izuku or Ochako in the next round. If they manage to keep their cool, they could both subdue him easily."

I had meant to only speak to my brother, but apparently, some of our classmates overheard me.

"So if his opponent was Bakugou, he'd win easily." Eijirou chimed in from beside my brother.

Predictably, Bakugou jumped up in his seat, rudely put his up on the back of my chair and started screaming his head off, tiny explosions in his palms.

"What did you say, shitty hair?! I could kick that purple haired bastard's ass any day."

"Not with that temper." My brother nonchalantly tossed back without looking at him.

I had to applaud him. My twin knew how to keep a straight face. I had to lean forward away from the boot still on my chair, which only got worse when Bakugou started kicking it in anger.

"You want to say that to my face you half-and-half bastard?!"

Annoyed, I turned sideways in my seat and smacked his leg to get him to stop. "Dude, chill the fuck out. We all know your physical prowess is amazing and that Shinsou doesn't stand a chance in a straight-up brawl, but in a battle of wits and psychological warfare, he'd have you beat considering how easy it is to rile you up. Now get your damn foot off my seat."

He looked like he couldn't believe I had the audacity to not only talk back but also smack him, but then a second later, he was screeching insults and threats to kick my ass, which I didn't take seriously.

"Wow, Hien, I didn't think you were the type to swear."

Shouto snorted, knowing full well I had a dirty mouth that I mostly kept hidden under a polite and proper facade as a child of the Todoroki family should appear to be lest I tarnish the old man's image.

"Hien's anything but proper no matter what she wants you to think."

"Shouto!"

I swatted him in offense, but he just gave me a look, and I knew it was payback for ruining his cool and composed image.

"Guys, the next match is about to start!"

Everyone immediately looked down into the arena to see Izuku and Ochako stepping on the stage. It was clear even from up here that the two were a bundle of nerves. Neither wanted to fight the other and be the person who destroyed their friend's goal. I just hope Izuku would let go of his sensibilities and give this fight his all. Ochako deserved as much. After all, she was no wilting flower.

"Next up, we have the man who took first place in the obstacle race, 1-A's Midoriya Izuku versus a fellow hero course classmate, Uraraka Ochako!"

The whole class seemed on edge as we waited for Present Mic to start the match. The tension between the two friends was palpable even in the stands.

"Ready? Start!"

Ochako immediately charged at Izuku, which seemed to surprise him, but not enough to let her touch him, as he dodged her with a roll and managed to get behind her. Those two weeks of martial arts lessons really did him good. Against Ochako, who had no formal fighting experience whatsoever, his basic moves were enough to easily turn the tables on her. I felt bad for her as I suspected it would go down more or less like this until I spotted a moment of hesitation from Izuku, which turned out to be a mistake on his part. That moment was all she needed. Ochako took advantage of it and used her quirk on him. This seemed to clear away any reservations he had. He immediately activated his quirk, using the wind produced from his blows to propel himself- much like Bakugou and myself did in the air- and keep himself within bounds as he pushed her towards the edge. Under the power of One for All, even at the barely 5% he could manage, Ochako didn't stand a chance, and soon she was tripping over the boundary line.

"Uraraka is out of bounds! Midoriya advances to the next round!"

I wasn't sure Ochako would want any company right now, so I stayed seated. Tenya had to leave at the start of the match for his fight against the support girl, so he wasn't able to see the outcome. Izuku came back halfway into Tenya's match, but Ochako hadn't so I assumed she wanted to be alone right now. Shouto, unfortunately, had to leave for his own match afterward, so I offered the now free seat beside me to Izuku.

"You're getting better and better at controlling your quirk, Izuku."

He rubbed the back of his neck, a light blush on his cheeks and a modest smile on his lips.

"It was all thanks to you and Shouto-kun. If you hadn't helped me, I might not have been able to get this far!"

I shook my head, a fond smile on my face that quickly dropped when I remembered the details of his fight.

"Even so, you almost lost your fight here. Don't think I didn't see you hesitate in the middle there! Ochako wouldn't have gotten the drop on you if you hadn't held yourself back at the last second. I know that she's your friend and you didn't want to fight her, but it's because she's your friend that she deserved to have your all. She's a hero student just like you. She wouldn't be here if she was a frail girl, and you hesitating the way you did insinuates that you think she needs you to be soft on her. You won your match in the end and I'm proud of you, but next time, be sure to treat your opponent like the worthy rival they are. Fight to win, or don't fight at all."

Izuku wilted under my gaze as I lectured him. The other girls gave me nods of approval. It was subtle, but it was clear the boys thought us girls weren't quite as sturdy as them just because most of us didn't have powerhouse quirks like Bakugou and Shouto. I ruffled green curly locks to let him know I wasn't that upset with him. I hoped my message got through to him.

By this point, Mei had finished her advertising spiel and had stepped out of bounds, granting Tenya the win. Our classmates chuckled over the ridiculous match, feeling the slightest bit sorry for the earnest class VP. I held my breath as my brother and my best friend stepped onto the field. Leaning forward, I bit my lip in worry. Another poor match up. I had no doubt that Momo could've been amazing, but her lack of speed and inability to think on the fly hindered her, especially against someone as fast as my brother. It was hard to tell just what her strategy was when my brother just overwhelmed her the start, quickly disabling her by freezing her in place when she was just a tad too slow to dodge.

"Winner: Todoroki!"

I sighed and got up, intending to congratulate Shouto on his win and maybe comfort Momo if she wanted or needed it.

"Are you going to see Shouto-kun, Hien-chan?"

"Yeah, my match will be starting after the next one anyway, might as well go now."

He gave me a pure shounen protagonist smile and my heart skipped a beat. I had to physically stop myself from making the heart-squeeze face. Ugh, now's not the time to cradle him to your bosom and coo over how adorable he is, Hien! Besides, he already had a mother, so adopting is out of the question. Shaking my head clear of the moe influence, I gave a reassuring smile back to him and headed up the stairs to the hallway leading to the waiting rooms. Spotting my twin exiting the tunnel leading to the field, I grinned and sped up to him, latching onto him like a limpet.

"Sho! Congrats on the win. I knew you wouldn't lose."

He grunted when he caught me, taking a step back to steady himself and keep us from crashing to the ground. He sighed in false exasperation, well used to my antics.

"Your match should be next, right?"

"Mhm, after Sero and Tokoyami. You're gonna cheer on your beloved big sister, right?"

When he didn't give me one of his usual witty responses, I frowned. I'd been so excited to congratulate him that I didn't notice he looked a little off. He'd seemed perfectly fine during his fight with Momo.

"What's up?"

His brow furrowed and his grip around me tightened. "That man came to talk to me."

Well, damn. I forgot all about Endeavor showing up today. I wondered if he would bother trying to give me a _pep talk_ as well. Maybe he only cares about Shouto winning at all costs.

"He said he wanted to talk to you as well."

Okay, fuck. There went that dream. "Ugh, what could that asshole want with me?"

Shouto snorted, always amused when I called our genetic donor anything vulgar.

"The usual, probably. _'Don't be an embarrassment. Win at all costs. Don't disappoint me.'_ All that tripe."

I nodded, not at all surprised. "Do you think I can avoid him by hiding out until my match?"

He shook his head, knowing as well as I did how stubborn our old man could be. "He'll just catch you at the entrance tunnel before you go in."

"Dammit, you're right. Might as well go look for him and get it out of the way now. At least I'd have a chance to cool down. I wouldn't want to end up getting distracted during the fight by whatever he said."

He didn't like it, but ultimately agreed that I should have as clear a head as possible during the tournament. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and walked off with a final congratulatory pat on his shoulder in the direction Shouto said Endeavor would be waiting for me.

* * *

This chapter was like pulling teeth and I hate myself. I hope some of you like this flaming garbage pile more than I do. Maybe now that this is out of the way I can get out of this rut I've been in.


	16. status update

Hey my dudes, so a bit of bad news. My laptop charger finally died on me so my laptop won't be usable for the near future. I stupidly did not back up anything I've already written so that's gonna be on hold until I buy a new charger. Sorry guys. I'll try not to keep you waiting :( Hope y'all have had a decent Halloween.


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